A Reflection of Me
by EleanorKate
Summary: Whilst Chummy is up at the Mother and Baby home she meets a young girl and secrets pour out. This may go to M rating later on. No real spoilers NOW COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

The door creaked open slightly, only perhaps six inches, and Chummy registered it somewhere in the back of her mind as she scoured the records in front of her as she sat at her desk.

It opened a crack more and she cursed the breeze that would run through this building, summer in, winter out but was too engrossed to really determine what had caused it to open up. Dr Turner had been so kind as to organise an electrician and a plumber but this place needed new windows, carpets, curtains, you name it, the building could do with it. Her darling husband had helped where and when he could on his days off and repainted the main sitting room and the hallway, but she couldn't ask him to be her handyman as well as everything else.

Chummy had herself moved the Sister's office to the other room across from where it had been before as this one had a rather lovely outlook across the gardens and she could hear the birds tweeting outside the window every morning. There was so much more light as well against the dark, almost depressive, oak paneling around her and she had made it her own.

All of sudden though as she continued reading, she felt something pull hard at her dark navy uniform skirt. She knew what that was; or rather _who_ that was as she pushed her chair away from her desk to see. He must have sneaked in the door; her thinking he was a little gust of wind.

"Hello" she whispered at the blonde haired little boy who had crawled underneath her desk and was now sitting by her feet. "Have you come to visit your Mumma?"

Freddie crawled out from his hiding place, raising his arms to her, grinning at her as he did. "I don't know what I am going to do about you bally sneaking up on me all the time!" she exclaimed, planting a firm kiss on his temple. "Mumma remembers nearly falling over you all those days ago! One of _these_ days she might just do it and where would we be then?!"

They had been at home, Freddie at the stage where soon enough he would walk on his own without Daddy's hands, Mummy's skirts or the benefit of the settee. She had been pottering around quietly in the kitchen and turned, Freddie standing inches behind her and she almost toppled over him at the unexpected sight, and indeed fright, in seeing him there.

"Peter?" she had asked to where he was sitting in the front room reading the newspaper. "Did you bring Freddie in here?"

Peter had appeared a moment later, shaking his head. "No" he'd replied, seeing Fred standing just by his mother. "Why?"

"Are you sure?" she then asked him suspiciously, narrowing her eyes, to which she had received a firm nod of the head and she had decided to believe him that he had not somehow sneaked in, put Freddie down behind her and run off without her noticing.

"Not guilty Camilla" he'd responded as she leant down to their son to pick him up. "He must have done it on his own!" she had exclaimed. "Did you just walk to your Mumma all the way from Daddy, hey?" All Fred had done was smile at her knowingly as she hugged him.

Back in the present day Chummy placed him on her knee and cuddled up, paperwork forgotten, as she wrapped her arms around her son and he babbled a few discernible words at her. They had only been here a month but young Freddie had made himself at home with the girls quicker than perhaps his parents; his father particularly.

The girls were wary of Peter. He was a single man in a houseful of women, and even though they knew he was the Sister's husband and he seemed nice, Peter realised very quickly that most of these girls were in here due to the male of the species doing them some kind of wrong so he kept his counsel, his mouth shut and his head down. He also kept walking around half dressed to the attic rooms they occupied and the most affection he had ever shown to Chummy in front of the girls was a gentle squeeze of her hand. Perhaps they would get used to a male presence at some point. Well they would have to as he was there whether they liked it or not.

"Your Daddy will be home soon handsome" she whispered as she held onto his hand, kissing his palm. "We've missed your Daddy this week haven't we?"

"Daddy home!" His speech had also come on in bounds these last couple of weeks too; far better than at that nursery, and Freddie had decided that her pronouncement required a round of applause as well as his proclamation of Peter's status. Chummy joined in, laughing with him, when there was a tap on the door interrupting her and Chummy raised her head to find one of the girls standing there.

"Sorry Sister" the girl remarked, running as best as she could at almost eight and a half months pregnant to the office, and slightly embarrassed that she had clearly interrupted a private moment between mother and son. "He's faster on his feet than me!"

Chummy smiled. "That's quite alright Gracie, don't worry. You've helped me an awful lot in looking after him this morning".

"Oh we like it Sister" she replied, stepping into the room. "We don't mind at all! Do you want me to take him back?"

"No, no" Chummy smiled, taking a quick glance at the clock on her desk. "It's nearly his time for his elevenses. He can stay here and I'll do that".

Gracie paused to go, but turned back around. "Sister, can I ask a question?"

"Of course" Chummy replied, but seeing the girl hesitate. "Go on?" Chummy continued, trying to encourage her as Freddie decided he needed to play with the silver fob watch that hung from the pocket of her uniform, failing to yank it away as it was pinned to her. "You know I don't bite".

"We heard there was someone new coming tonight" Gracie said, walking closer to the Sister's desk hands clasped underneath her belly, smiling at Freddie as Chummy removed the watch from her son's mouth as he had decided it was worth chewing. Thankfully he had not mastered safety pins quite yet.

"Almost" she responded, passing him a coaster from her desk to play temporarily with instead. Clearly there had been some talk over a new resident but there was no harm in the girls knowing. "Tomorrow night. I was just looking at her paperwork".

"What's her name?" the young girl asked, curious to find out. She was the first new girl that had come since Gracie herself and she might feel a bit better about being here if there was someone new to 'replace' her in the pecking order.

"Josephine" Chummy replied, glancing quickly at the sheet on her desk. "Josephine Baker so I am told. I wonder, would you and perhaps Katie, help me settle her in? I was going to put her in that other bed in your room between you two. You're all around the same age give or take a month".

"Course we will" Gracie replied, seeing the young boy bouncing up and down on his mother's knee, chewing the coaster as he went along. "Are you sure you don't want me to take Freddie again, Sister? I don't mind. I've got to get my practice in!" Gracie was one of the mothers with more forgiving parents who were to take her child in as their own and she always liked helping out, particularly as Freddie was such a sweet little chap. She wasn't one of those 'bad girls' who got herself into disgrace and Kenny _was_ going to marry her in the Summer. A date had been set already.

Behind her, before she could answer, Chummy heard a car pull up outside on the gravel. "No, don't worry. Thank you Gracie" she said, turning to see Peter getting out of the car. "My husband's here now".

Up in the attic flat, now as the evening was closing in around them, she sat with Freddie fast asleep nestled against her breast, feeling his slow breaths as he snoozed; stomach full and more than ready for bed.

"Did you find anything more out?" Peter asked as he came to sit beside her, changed out of his uniform and the holdall emptied from his week at Nonnatus. The washing machine rattled around the small kitchen to their side and he too was curious about the newcomer; if only because his wife had been sounding him out as to what he thought when she first learned of her a week ago.

Chummy shook her head. "It's all very strange" she began, accepting a kiss on the cheek. "The referral came privately and the details are all very…well..." She couldn't think of the word.

"Scant?" Peter suggested, straightening his son's sock.

"Yes", she replied. "That's it. _Scant_ ". She sighed and shifted to get herself more comfortable, her arm under her son tingling with pins and needles. "I know her name, date of birth and when she is due. One normally gets so much more information. Parents names, addresses, what the girls' plans are for the baby when they go home, even sometimes the name of the father if one is lucky…but so little this time".

"Well, maybe you'll learn more tomorrow" Peter suggested. "She's not coming until tomorrow evening after all."

Chummy laughed. "Ever the optimist!"

"And it's not as though you've not asked for more information" he continued. "So whoever it is that has arranged it, does know..."

"Yes that's true" she sighed. "Perhaps there will be more when she comes".

Peter slipped further down into the settee and sighed too, happy to be 'home'. These rooms so reminded him of where he lived before he met her and those first three blissful weeks of marriage, even if they were tripping over each other. He had nearly gone head first down the stairs once already, it so very narrow and almost vertical on its way to the attics. These lodgings really didn't suit a growing family so he was quite glad this was only temporary.

"So have the Sisters been looking after you this week?" she asked. She had been concerned about him being at Nonnatus, even though they had agreed that with nightshifts and a houseful of girls and babies during the day, he would get far more sleep back at Nonnatus than here, but those first couple of days were horrid and she had missed him terribly.

"They have" he replied. He'd kept himself to himself mostly, apart from when they ate as Sister Julienne would not have had it any other way for him not to eat with them but most of the time he had worked himself into the ground and slept, ticking the days away until his night shifts week was over and he could drive up to be with her again.

"We've missed you" she offered quietly not wanting to look him in the eye, resting her hand on her son's chest. "Fred asked for you last night".

 _"_ _Where Daddy?"_ It had nearly broken her heart that her almost sixteen month old son had started to notice that Peter wasn't there and she daren't cry in front of the boy; even though, when she slipped under her own bed covers, she had lain there and felt the tears trickle into the pillow. Sometimes she would wonder what was up with herself to react like that!

"Did he?" Peter asked, really quite touched that Freddie was aware enough to notice he wasn't there after a few days. He'd missed being dribbled on and giggled at for no apparent reason other than his existence.

Chummy nodded. "I told him you'd be home soon". She told herself that too.

"It's only one week out of four and I am only a car drive away now if you need me" he took up her hand, gripping tightly, so pleased that they had made the investment of the loan for the car with his new wages. "It won't be like this forever".

"I know" she replied, pulling his chin towards her so she could kiss him awkwardly pinned down by her son so she had to lean twisted. She sighed deeply as he pushed her lips apart, a kiss with an outpouring of affection that she had missed.

"Put your boy to bed" she whispered. "Then come back here. The girls know not to disturb me at night unless someone goes into labour or there's a fight".

Peter paused, Freddie now in his arms and even though he was on a promise, he did have to ask the question. "A fight?!"

"I'll tell you about it in bed".


	2. Chapter 2

Quickly she opened up the top drawer of the filing cabinet, the metal scraping loudly along the struts as she did. "Blasted thing.." she cursed under her breath as the noise truly set her teeth on edge as it screeched around the room, cannoning off the walls and clawing at her spine.

Carefully flicking through the files within it, Chummy found what she was looking for and placed the file on the top of the cabinet, leaning down to the bottom drawer in the cabinet next to it, again it opening with an entirely unnecessary blood curdling scream. She would have to find some oil sooner rather than later as that noise would have awoken the dead.

"Camilla?" came a voice from behind her, resisting making a comment regarding his view, and she stood up to find her husband standing in the doorway to her office, minus their son who he had been entertaining since breakfast.

"Where's Freddie?" she asked, checking the little chap was not wandering around her office.

"Holding court with Amy-with-the-black-hair" Peter replied. Oddly there were three girls called Amy and they were known by their hair colour. Amy-with-the-black-hair, Amy-with-the-red-hair and Amy-with-the-blonde-hair. "Very clingy; won't leave her alone. I tried but he wasn't having it!"

"She'll be the next to go then" Chummy mooted, holding the files to her chest, noting he was dressed in a blue overall and a pair of his battered old plimsolls.

"Next to go?" Peter asked curiously, brow furrowing.

"Into labour. I read it somewhere" she continued. "Toddlers get very clingy to women who are days away from giving birth. Especially if they are familiar with them. I don't know whether its an old wives tale but he got Jane right the other day" she noted, not going to close the filing cabinet quite yet as she knew that noise went through Peter too.

"I might start running a book then" Peter considered. "Taking bets on who'll give birth next. Freddie can be my runner!" Chummy smiled and shook her head, eyes examining him up and down, wondering why he was wearing overalls and he must have read her mind. "I was going to start that inventory of the cellar. Presuming you haven't done it already?" he asked, hand rested on the door frame.

"No" Chummy replied, walking across to her desk and placing the files down before she sat on the opposite side. "But you don't have to do it either. It's not like you are being paid".

"I don't mind Camilla" he replied, taking a few steps towards her. "Fred's more interested in his girlfriends, you're working and …."

"You have two days off work Peter" she interrupted him, feeling guilty when it came to it. "You've got one job already and you need to have your rest too you know. I don't expect you to lift a finger around here".

"I know, but I don't mind helping you and I know it's a job you wanted to get done". It was either the cellar or start painting the downstairs bathroom and as he tended to get paid 'in kind' anyway, he didn't mind picking up odd jobs here there and everywhere otherwise he would be bored senseless.

She sighed and acquiesced. "I didn't get to start it. There a pen and a new notebook in that top drawer over there" she said, gesturing towards an oak writing desk in the corner that she used for storage.

Peter smiled and reached across the desk to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "Never know what I might find down there…." he quipped. "Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh?"

"Spiders" Chummy replied, brushing her hand down his face. "But Freddie will probably have one as a pet so if you find any…." She shrugged her shoulders. There was all kind of wildlife in the cellar and around this property generally and Freddie had already presented her with a Daddy Long Legs that he had somehow managed to get hold of and not kill at first glance. Chummy had mused, when it had been offered to her, that it must have been a very old and slow Daddy Long Legs to have surrendered itself to her son so easily.

Peter smiled. He knew about his son's interest in all things muddy and creepy and kept it in mind.

A good few hours later, Chummy yawned as she descended the narrow steps down to the cellar, careful that they were so rickety and damp in places. She had not seen Peter since he departed her office, borrowing a torch from the toolbox, and as it was approaching lunchtime she decided to go and find him and take him a cup of tea as well.

"Peter?" she asked. The cellars had some light, but it was minimal and she couldn't see the torch he had taken with him flashing about down there. Placing a hand carefully on a door frame she looked into one room and found nothing bar old bed frames, chairs with broken legs and boxes piled high; the next one the same. "Peter?" she repeated, taking a glance further down the corridor that was lined with rooms, shadows casting around her that unnerved her.

She heard something move, just a scratch on the stone floor ahead of her. "Peter?" she repeated, voice wavering slightly, curious as to whether it was him or a rat, preferring the former if she could really help it. "If you plan on jumping out on me, be warned I have a hot cup of tea in my hand".

"I wasn't" he replied, stepping out from the room directly ahead of her at the end of the corridor. He had a dusty mark on his face and the overalls were filthy at the knee. It also looked like he had wiped his hands several times on his belly too.

"How's it going?" she asked walking down to the end room, seeing he had made some progress as he stepped back to let her in. She put the tea cup on the top of an old rusting filing cabinet.

"Not too bad really" Peter replied. "Most of its junk but you might be interested in them though…." He pointed to several packages, still wrapped up in brown paper and string, one he had ripped open to see what was in it. "They look like they are full of baby clothes. Quite clean as well".

Chummy looked inside the one he had already opened, fingers toying with the wool. "I wonder why they were down here…" she considered. "There isn't a mark on them". They looked like donations made by some kind person, shoved away down here in the dark. "Mind you who knows what that old Sister was up to". Chummy, with the help of Dr Turner had already found 'discrepancies' in the Home's accounts as well as other unsavoury issues that the doctor had promised to take up with the Board at the first available opportunity.

"I think I know" Peter replied, taking her hand to walk further into the room where there was a box on the floor. He kicked it gently and she heard the clink of glass.

"I keep finding gin and whiskey bottles. In boxes, behind boxes, in that filing cabinet. That little ante room" he said, pointing further along. "... smells like a brewery".

Chummy sighed. "Those poor girls".

Above their heads, they heard the office telephone ring and Peter looked at her expectantly. "Amy-with-the-red-hair is keeping an eye out for it for me. She'll answer it" she replied, having left her orders upstairs, even though she was only going to be away for a minute or two.

Peter nodded. "I think these need to go in the bin without the girls seeing somehow!" he sighed seeing her agree, casting her eye around the room as they stood hand in hand, until they heard a voice shout down the stairs.

"Sister?!"

"Yes Amy?" Chummy replied, looking towards the corridor and the stairs at the end where the voice was coming from.

"Ver's a bloke on ve phone wiv a plum in his mouf askin' for ye Sister! A Mister McKenzie!" Amy replied, having answering the telephone and being rather shocked at just exactly how posh this man sounded. She knew Sister talked well, but this fella was something else.

"That's the chap who's been telephoning about the new resident" Chummy whispered to Peter. "I'll be up in two shakes Amy! Thank you!"

"S'alright Sister" she heard as the girl walked away.

Chummy smiled. "Best go and speak to him. See what he has to offer!" Peter took one last look down at the box full of bottles as she shot up the upstairs and sighed loudly, brushing dust off his hands as he did, wondering what else he was going to find.

"No, one does appreciate that Mr McKenzie" Chummy said for probably the fiftieth time in the conversation and her patience was wearing thin, which for her was saying a lot. "But with so little information one is afraid that…."

Chummy was cut off by the voice on the other end of the line. "Yes, I do fully appreciate that Mr McKenzie and one can assure you that the girl's details are all kept highly confidential…." To anyone listening in it would be more than clear that this person on the other end of the line was not letting her speak.

"Yes that's…." she began again listening intently at the voice. She had come across some people with condescending attitudes towards women in her time but he was taking the biscuit."No that is not correct Mr McK…"

"No, one can wholeheartedly... "

Peter pushed the door open a crack, hearing her huff loudly at the latest interruption. He had heard her from the other side of the wall becoming increasingly frustrated in her conversation, having brought the box full of bottles up to go into the bin. The sound of her voice had attracted him, if that was the really quite the correct word for the tone of her conversation, and he had hovered by the door, her back to him as she had the telephone pressed to her ear. Peter actually saw that her knuckles were white from gripping the telephone so tight.

"Yes… no. One can only repeat… Mr….." Chummy pressed her lips together, trying desperately to keep her patience and she listened a moment again, blood quite frankly boiling at what she was hearing.

"If you would let me...". The line suddenly went dead and she stared at the receiver in disbelief. "Odious little creature!" she exclaimed, not quite slamming the telephone down, spinning her chair around and looking up to find Peter standing against the door frame.

"Did you hear that?" she asked apprehensively and rather meekly he noted. Was she afraid that he would shout at her? Could he see that in her eyes?

"Most of it" Peter replied, walking into the room and closing the door firmly behind him. All the girls knew that if Sister's door was closed tight, that was a signal she wasn't to be disturbed and he knew that she needed a moment to herself. The box full of bottles went onto the small table in her office. "So he won't tell you any more?" he asked, taking up a seat across from her.

"No" she sighed, still bolt upright in her chair and Peter could feel her annoyance creep across the table to him. "I am only the Nurse who will have to care for the gel and as a mere female I am clearly not even allowed to know which part of London she is from, let alone anything about her medical history or even… " She wanted to scream and sat back quickly, the chair groaning as she did.

"One does hope he is not going to arrive with her tonight. I might have to bite my tongue!"

"Camilla" Peter replied, calmly, his voice low and soft. It took her agitation down a peg or two and she smiled at him.

"I know" she said, her tone equally as quiet. "He is not worth worrying about, but he does irritate me so Peter. He really does and I have not even met him yet!"

"Do you want me to be downstairs when she arrives tonight?" he asked, wondering if his presence might help or at least if it came to it, he would end up being the referee. She looked up at him. "Camilla, he is probably five foot three with a squint and shouts at women because any sane woman wouldn't lay a finger on him in anger or lust or anything else!"

"That's rude..." Chummy replied, although she did want to agree with him. Difficulty was, she now had an image in her head that wouldn't go away wondering whether she could now greet this Mr McKenzie with a straight face tomorrow night or not!


	3. Chapter 3

"Any sign?" Peter asked quietly, wandering through from their bedroom with Freddie's bottle in his hand. Chummy was sitting in the window seat from their residence high up in the roof, a plush red cushion at her back and staring out of the window at the darkened drive several floors below her.

"No, nothing" she replied, her voice heavy as she waited and it would seem, _waited_. "They were supposed to arrive nearly an hour and a half ago Peter" she continued, forehead pressed to the glass as she _waited._ "If they don't arrive soon one really does not relish the idea of disturbing the other girls getting ready for bed to settle this new one in".

Peter looked at his watch as he put the bottle down on the low coffee table. Half past seven, almost twenty to eight and he could see why she was becoming agitated; particularly as this Mr McKenzie was certainly not her best friend at the moment.

"Is Freddie alright?" she asked, finally turning to him as he nodded and continued his walk towards her, taking up the rest of the space on the wide window seat, sitting opposite her.

"Yes, he's fine", Peter replied. He had only wanted to Daddy to put him to bed tonight and had kicked up quite the fuss when he had realised that he was in Mumma's arms and Daddy was sitting on the settee. "You know he can drink his own body weight in milk if he wants to". The bottle on the table was almost empty.

Chummy smiled. Freddie still wasn't completely weaned off his mother although she didn't mind, usually wanting her in the night for comfort rather than a sterile bottle and there had been many a time that Peter had woken at some ungodly hour to find him in bed with them. Chummy wasn't convinced he was still getting much out of it but if it settled him she didn't care or mind and to be straight, she wanted to keep feeding him herself for as long as possible; so Freddie simply would have with his own mother what she didn't.

She felt Peter squeeze her knee. "Do you want your Whiskey?" she asked, thinking they had broken their usual routine, but she saw him shake his head. "Later. When they've been".

Chummy nodded and resumed her position with her forehead leaning against the cool glass, watching the drive for any sign of life. It was dark already and the trees overhanging the road had taken on their usual ghostly hue, casting shadows in the streetlamps. The grounds at night became foreboding as the Lodge loomed over the gardens and at times it filled her with awe.

"I was going to finish off the cellar tomorrow and then might run into town to get the paint for the downstairs bathroom" Peter offered.

"Haven't we got any?" she asked, sure there was paint here already, although he could see that her mind was clearly elsewhere as her eyes wandered back to the window. There were other things she could and should have been doing besides all this waiting.

"I think it's gone off" Peter noted, having indeed found the paint downstairs some hours ago. "It smells like cat wee".

Chummy sniggered and sat up properly. "If it was in the cellar it probably is a cat weeing all over the pots rather than the paint. There's a black cat that goes in through that half window at the front day in day out… but if you don't mind going? Just to be sure?"

Peter shook his head as he didn't mind at all, but a light suddenly caught his eye as a car pulled up outside the Lodge. "Oh, hello" he said, nodding towards the window. "Here you go".

Chummy stood at the doorway and straightened her uniform, feeling the presence of at least three of the girls who were hanging over the bannister, curious, particularly as their new roommate was very, very late.

"Girls?" Chummy asked, turning around, seeing them standing a few feet behind her, some dressed in their nightgowns already. "If you are going to earwig, at least do it out of sight! Shoo!" All she heard was giggling but they did retreat to the top of the stairs at least out of the immediate way unless you looked.

She cleared her throat quickly and opened the heavy oak door; finding two figures there. So this Mr McKenzie wasn't three foot tall with a squint it seemed. Perhaps six foot four with piercing blue eyes topped with what looked like Icelandic blonde hair and a Fedora set at a fashionable angle was what he looked like. Chummy heard the girls giggling again but frankly the Lord Jesus himself could have been standing there and all she would be interested in was the young girl she could see standing slightly behind him; a suitcase gripped mercilessly in both hands, wearing a thick black winter coat and looking terrified.

"Sister Noakes?" he asked, looking her up and down. Even in two words he sounded tired of having to deal with women.

"Yes" she replied, opening up the door fully, going to be polite. "Do please come in".

He walked past her as she directed him to her office on the other side of the hallway and he disappeared through without a glance around him. Chummy smiled at the girl as she passed her and the front door closed behind, but the response was, well, nothing whatsoever. As she gently shut the door to her office, she saw the girls reappear at the top of the stairs.

For the next ten minutes Chummy's eyes danced between the girl who had taken to sitting on a chair in her office, black coat wrapped tightly around her middle and the chaperone who simply refused to sit down as he clearly had little plan to stay for anything more than absolving responsibility for the girl. Chummy showed him the door with some glee so she could turn her attentions to her new resident, who was staring at her hands still.

"Now he's gone", Chummy began as she sat down opposite the girl, "and before I show you to your room….."

"Am I sharing?" Josephine asked, interrupting her. It was first words she had said apart from 'yes' or 'no' since she got there. Chummy had hoped it was the presence of Mr McKenzie that had forced the girl into silence, but she was not completely sure.

"Yes, with Katherine – Katie – and Gracie. They are about your age and they'll help you get all settled in" Chummy replied with an attempt at a reassuring smile, seeing her nod and go back to pulling at the cuticles in her nails.

Chummy sighed taking up her pen. "Now let me check some of your details. You are Josephine Mary Baker?"

"Yes Sister".

"And your date of birth is the twenty second of October 1942" Chummy stated, reasonably confident in her facts from limited information she already had and it was not particularly a question.

"19 _44_ ", Josephine replied, looking up and probably for the first time making eye contact.

Chummy hesitated, wondering whether she saw alarm in her face for a moment until it was swiftly covered. "I was told you were seventeen".

"No" she squeaked. "Fifteen. I'm sixteen in seven months".

Chummy bit back what she was going to say, twirling her pen around briefly as she thought. "And you were born where?" she asked.

"Westminster".

Chummy nodded. Westminster was a rather nice, really quite wealthy spot in London but she really didn't have the accent to go with it. It sounded more towards Norfolk so Chummy did not place much stock in where the girl might have been born.

"As its getting rather late", Chummy began deciding that she really needed to spend more time with this girl at a more conducive hour, "one won't subject you to any more questions. Have you eaten recently?"

"Yes Sister" she replied.

"Very well then, I will take you upstairs and you can unpack and we can deal with all the other business in the morning". Chummy stood up to go and Josephine just nodded at her again and followed in a most compliant fashion upstairs to be introduced to the girls.

"We cleared out a space in the wardrobe for you" Katie said smiling proudly as Josephine carefully placed her case down on the spare bed, eyes shooting over and around the room, looking positively petrified. "This one here! Our suitcases are all on top but there's plenty of room for yours!"

She noticed the girl smile apprehensively and Chummy lingered in the doorway; knowing full well how hard it was to settle in with girls you didn't know. She had had enough of that at school even without the added complications that these poor girls had, but putting her in with Katie and Gracie did have a purpose. They were friendly girls who always wore a smile and above anyone here, she hoped they would ease her out of her shell.

"Don't exert yourself tonight" Chummy continued. "Take your essentials out and we can unpack properly tomorrow". She had noticed the girl had not taken off her coat yet but she decided to leave them to it. Perhaps she would be more forthcoming with girls of her own age and Chummy closed the door gently, taking a quick circuit of the corridors to check all was well before she retired to the attics.

By the time Chummy had settled Josephine in with the girls, Peter had decided it was time to retire to bed and wait for her. Freddie had decided he needed to be with his Daddy too so the pair were snoozing on the bed, dressed almost identically in striped pyjamas; Peter's eyes slowly closing, feeling the weight of his son as he lay on top of him.

"Oh I see you pair have made yourself bally comfortable in my absence! One was only gone for minutes!" Chummy joked as she closed the bedroom door seeing the sight of the pair of them and having locked the attic doors on her way through.

"Actually I think he was after you more than me", Peter replied, gently placing his hand on the breast pocket of his pyjama top. It was a signal they had had since Freddie was born that he wanted feeding and the boy himself had started to learn the signal too. It had been borne of wanting to be discreet around the Nuns when they were still living at Nonnatus but it was a habit they simply had just not broken as the months had gone on. "He asked".

"I am sure he's reverting to babyhood" she began, starting to get undressed for bed, carefully folding her uniform over the back of a chair. "I do think its being around all these little ones again. Maybe he thinks he's having to compete to be my handsome man".

Peter smiled, watching her as she wandered around their bedroom. "Well, it's not hunger. It _can't_ be hunger. Think he just wants _you_ ".

Chummy quickly nipped into the bathroom, washed and brushed her teeth before she slipped into bed, unbuttoning her pyjama top as Fred slithered off Peter's chest towards his Mumma. He knew where he was going and what his intentions where and she made them both comfortable before he latched on with little need for assistance from his mother as he had been getting rather efficient at this breast feeding lark for some time now.

Peter turned on his side too, a palm resting on Fred's back and they shared a smile. She had never been shy of feeding him in front of her husband. When they were back at Nonnatus, stranded in bed as she recovered, it had been Peter getting up and picking up their squalling son to bring him to her when he needed her. It had never crossed her mind that she shouldn't do it.

"So what else did you find out?" Peter asked, having been burning to ask.

"Not much", she replied brushing Fred's blonde hair away from his forehead. "If she had been here earlier, one might have made more progress. I've found out she's fifteen, not seventeen for a start". Chummy had hoped it was just an error that the year was wrong, but with everything else that had been going on, she was not so sure and the girl seemed to confirm otherwise. If it was right they had an entirely new problem on their hands and she could almost hear the scenarios ticking over in the Policeman's mind.

"And…" she began, before pausing. Peter raised an eyebrow expecting her to carry on.

"If she is nearly eight and a half months pregnant then I will gladly go back to Nursing School and do all of my midwifery examinations again!" Chummy replied, wanting to trust her own eyes and what she had seen, or rather not seen, underneath that heavy coat.

"She's seven months if she is a day!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Do you work here?" she asked.

Peter's head shot up at the sound of the female voice behind him. He had been back down in the cellar for a while and with only his own company he had started to lose track of time as he got lost in his own little world of junk; shifting and carrying, sorting and that list he had started yesterday was growing no end.

He turned, having had his back to the door, lifting a box from the floor and found a girl standing in the doorway. As he knew everyone else, this must be the elusive Josephine; hands clasped tightly underneath her belly and looking at him rather curiously. He had hearing like a bat so how he had not realised she was standing there. He looked down briefly and saw she had no shoes on. That must be why he didn't hear her.

"No" Peter replied, thinking a smile might just dissolve that rather strange look she had on her face. "I just sometimes help Camilla out" he replied, smiling again and trying to feel more comfortable at the sudden presence of this girl down here in the depths of the cellar. Camilla's concern last night was enough to make him suspicious too and her sudden appearance out of nowhere alarmed him.

"Camilla?" she asked not budging from the spot until the lintel of the door frame.

"Sorry" Peter replied, straightening up properly and self-consciously wiping more dust off his hands onto the overalls. "Sister, I meant. Sister Noakes".

He saw her nod, bright green eyes wandering around the semi-lit room at the mountain of boxes he had sorted through that were piled against one wall and settling back on him.

"I think breakfast is upstairs" he said, knowing the girls routine already and smelling toast and bacon, but he wouldn't indulge for a second time. She needed to be upstairs though and away from crawling around in a cellar with a stranger; particularly a male one as Peter just felt so very awkward.

"I know" Josephine replied, still standing obstructing his way out. He noticed she pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. Camilla did that sometimes too, but she usually did it when she wanted something from him or try and persuade him about a decision they need to make. It never made him uneasy when she did it though; quite the opposite.

"I don't want any breakfast" Josephine responded.

"You've got to eat" Peter replied, deciding he had best look like he is busy and she might take the hint and stop looking at him with wide eyes. He put the box down he had been carrying with the others.

"I suppose" she responded and he could feel her watching him as she took a few paces inside the room. "Would you like me to help you?" she asked. "I can carry light things or write on your list if you'd like me to or I could go and get you a cup of tea?" Peter did hope that she was just trying to be nice and helpful and that it was all perfectly innocent; not his imagination, but something told him it wasn't.

"No, there's no need" he replied far too quickly, taking a step back to increase the distance between them, wanting to be polite but it was far from appropriate that she was down here with him. Even though he wouldn't harm a fly and if Camilla was right she was still a child, who clearly with some knowledge of the ways of the world if that belly was anything to go by. He, however, knew little about babies and pregnancy but he had seen Camilla pregnant; remembered what she looked like when she was days away from giving birth to Freddie and no, she didn't look very big at all.

"Maybe you should go and have your breakfast" he said. "Sister will be wondering where you are". So now what, ignore her? Thankfully however she received the message loud and clear and Josephine wandered off back upstairs as he breathed a sigh of relief that she had finally gone.

The hubbub of noise in the dining room was no different than normal as Chummy made her way to the back of the house, Freddie installed on one hip and the other hand carrying an empty tea cup that she had found curdling in her office.

Chummy smiled as she stepped around the dining room door, quite pleased that all the girls seemed to want to breakfast together in this room they had they had all help organise with its neatly laid tables and the rota pinned up on the wall for all of their jobs for which Chummy would see no shirking. They were all in groups at their tables, talking, gossiping and laughing as the early morning sun began to infiltrate the net curtains and for once all seemed to be at peace with each other. 'Makes a change', Chummy thought from the squabbling and the occasional fight she had had to break up as she closed the door behind her and Freddie.

"Morning girls!" she announced over the noise and for a moment they quietened.

"Morning Sister!" they all replied as Chummy walked across to the table by the window, feeling Freddie breathing gently on her neck. It was far too early for him this morning poor thing and he was almost asleep again as she cast her eye over the room and did a quick head count to make sure everyone was there.

"Katie?" she asked, finding the brown haired girl sitting on the window seat, the others grouped around her. "Has Josephine come down?"

"Yes Sister" Katie replied, holding onto Freddie's hand as his fingers flexed sleepily around hers. "She's just gone the lavvie though. Only a minute ago before you came in".

Chummy nodded, grateful that she had either come downstairs voluntarily or the girls had persuaded her.

"Sister?" came one voice from behind her and she turned to face the girl, one of the new mothers; baby Thomas only days old and he was nestled in her arms attached to his bottle.

"Yes Sarah?" she asked.

"Don't you fink 'e was 'andsome?" Sarah asked. A vague question if ever there was one.

"Who was handsome?" Chummy asked with a smile in her voice as the questioned seemed to have quietened the room somewhat again. It would seem that the presence of another male last night had causes somewhat of a furore and Chummy should have guessed that she would be cross-questioned after shooing them off the stairs.

"'im wiv ve blue eyes an' all vat blonde 'air" Amy-with-the-red-hair replied for her from the other side of the room. Yes, clearly the visitor last night was the subject of gossip.

"Ve one what brought Josephine Sister". That was Valerie this time.

"E was 'eavenly vo wasn't 'e Sister? If I wasn't like vis I'd give 'im time of day several times over!" one of the others, Gillian, chipped in as she gestured at her stomach.

"Now, now, girls, all of you", Chummy replied, seeing Josephine slip into the room and sit down as she tried to keep her voice level. She had had her eyes opened to the ways of younger women these past few weeks and some of the things she had heard coming from their mouths made her eyes water. Not to say otherwise but Chummy _had_ noticed Mr McKenzie was striking certainly, but she only had eyes firmly fixed in one place and however 'handsome' he might have been he had annoyed her no end and that clouded her judgment as far as his looks were concerned.

"Bet you 'e could make you forget your 'usband in a flash, Sister!" Chummy spun quickly, back to Katie's table.

"Elizabeth!" she scolded again. "We will have none of that here! I could go about reminding you why you are here…."

The whole room erupted into laughter, and Chummy raised her eyebrows to the girl, knowing she had made her point but sometimes, she had learned, it was best to play them at their own game.

"Sorry Sister" Elizabeth - 'Lil' - responded quietly.

"One should hope so" Chummy replied, this time not smiling adjusting Fred who was still on her hip. It was far too early for him, dozing away still in his pyjamas, and he had not even batted an eyelid as Peter and she ate breakfast upstairs but with Daddy down in the cellar and her having to look after the girls, she couldn't leave him snoozing four floors up.

"Can we take him Sister?" Katie asked, suddenly. "We can help him with his breakfast if you want us to".

Chummy nodded and handed Freddie over to the waiting arms of the girl, and he immediately settled on her shoulder. Both parents had noted really quite early that Freddie had taken to Katie ever so quickly and she to him. Chummy would go and get his Rusks and Peter a cup of tea and start on today's paperwork before she tackled the issue of Josephine; sure now all the girls were downstairs and they knew their jobs for today anyway.

Armed with a mug, Chummy met him half way up the cellar stairs, a box of something or other in Peter's arms.

"Just brought you this", she smiled.

"Oh, well I just brought you this…" he said, coming to rest on the step below her. "I think its old records…."

"Medical records?" Chummy replied, her thinking, foolishly it seemed, that the audit she did when they first moved in had been completed some time ago. This place was filled to the rafters with so much they just didn't need!

Peter nodded. "I thought you might want to go through them or something. The earliest one I found was 1919!"

"Really?" she replied reluctantly, not actually relishing the thought of trawling through yet more old records that should have been sent off to Social Services years ago.

"I'll put them in the office for you" he replied. The box was filthy and apart from other things she was wearing a clean uniform this morning.

"Well have your tea first. You've been down there nearly two hours already!" she exclaimed as she took the box off him anyway and him the cup of tea off her.

"Have you spoken to Josephine?" Peter whispered, taking one step up so he was level with her, thinking that perhaps this was sufficiently private for him to mention it as even though it was a while since she had been downstairs he was still slightly unnerved and he felt she needed to know what had happened as the girl was a touch of an unknown quantity.

"No, not yet. Why?" Chummy replied, brushing a cobweb off his shoulder.

Peter paused for a second, seeing one of the girls walk across the hallway and thankfully out of sight. "She was down here".

"In the cellar?"

"Mmm" he replied, taking a sip of tea. "Just appeared out of nowhere standing in the doorway". He saw her scowl. "It was uncomfortable Camilla. She could have accused me of anything and you wouldn't know any different".

"What was she like, talking to you?" Chummy asked, carefully digesting what he had to say. Perhaps the girl had spoken to Peter more than she had spoken to her although come what may she would trust him. She had wondered as well whether Gracie or Katie had managed to get a word out of her too.

"Bit friendly" he replied, deciding to be completely honest with her just in case something did get said. "Flirty even and you _know_ that makes me feel uncomfortable".

"Does it?" Chummy responded, really quite surprised; particularly now that she had got her eye in, flirting with him really sometimes had its uses and he didn't seemed to object unless she had it entirely wrong.

"Not from you" he replied, voice even lower as he smoothed a hand over her hip and decided to leave it there for the time being. " _You_ can flirt all you like with me missus, but not when it comes from a fifteen year old child!"

Chummy signed. "I was going to talk to her some more this morning. Take some baseline readings, blood pressure and all, of that. I might see how we get on. She isn't due in two weeks Peter. I am sure of it!"

"Have the girls got Fred?"

Chummy nodded. "Katie will have him for hours if I let her".

"I might go and drive up to town and get that paint", he continued, thinking if he got an early start, and it was a nice clear day it seemed; that it would dry in no time. They were quite the way down in the stairwell, so he had no qualms in reaching up to kiss her, the hand from her hip coursing through the curls at the nape of her neck, the other still occupied with tea.

"I shouldn't be too long" he said. "You still want the bathroom done white?"

She nodded and he kissed her again, more thoroughly this time, not seeing the figure lingering in the hallway behind her looking over at the sight before her. Josephine stood, forehead creased.

Why was Sister letting the handyman kiss her? Especially kiss her like that with those filthy overalls on and dust all over his hands? Wasn't Sister wearing a wedding ring?

She might have to find out.


	5. Chapter 5

Discretely Chummy showed Josephine into her office and sat her down.

She had exercised her mind relentlessly these past hours as to how she was going to deal with this and wondered even if the girl might still persist to lie to her about what was going on. This McKenzie chap was entirely unapproachable she had found and the young lady herself was, it seemed, hiding something too so she was really at a loss as they sat either side of her desk, Chummy perhaps thinking she would start gently. The last thing she wanted to do first was challenge her as to why she had been creeping around in the cellar and whilst she trusted Peter's judgment inherently, it was not something she could wade in feet first over. If he felt uncomfortable though, it was enough for her but it was not the first question to ask.

"Now just a few more details" Chummy started, feeling the sun on her back as it crept through the window. "Now one has all your personal details but no-one has told me where you live!" Chummy exclaimed, trying to make it sound as though she was annoyed with some faceless person who had failed in their duties.

"Banham" Josephine replied. "Norfolk". It didn't mean a thing to Chummy apart from the fact it was an awful long way away from London and she had been right about the accent. How did she end up here though? The Lodge was miles and miles away and it seemed to be another thing to add to the list of curiosities.

"Can I ask how Mr McKenzie is connected to you?" Chummy asking thinking she might as well just jump straight in on that particular question. Worst she could get was a sullen look.

"He's married to my step sister" Josephine offered quite easily although her voice remained flat; only wishing to communicate the bare minimum it seemed.

"So you have siblings?" Chummy asked thinking this quite neutral ground to start on and she may develop a rapport if she could get the girl onto the subject of her family, particularly as it seemed that it was her family that brought her here.

"Yes" Josephine began, still picking away at the cuticles of her nails. "Two half-brothers and three step-sisters".

"No blood siblings?" the nurse asked, writing the information down as they went along.

"No" she said quickly, too quickly as Chummy put her pen down deciding that she needed to deal with this issue of her health and perhaps some more general information might present itself soon. "Now do you mind if I just run you over with a bally quick examination? Just blood pressure, see how baby is?"

Josephine submitted and walked with Chummy to the treatment room off the back of her office and hopped up onto the table still not saying very much at all.

"Could you undo your dress for me?" Chummy asked, opening up her medical bag to find all she needed. "I just need to listen to Baby's heart rate and see how she's getting on". She didn't seem to put up much of a fight, but neither was she one for small talk either as she did as Chummy asked and lay back down again, stomach exposed to the air and the Nurse's initial instinct seemed to be really quite right. She was small.

"So when did you last have any medical attention Josephine?" Chummy asked, pressing the pinard to the girl's abdomen, happy with what she heard as baby's strong, steady heartbeat filled her ear.

"When I found out" she began. "My father's doctor. I was very sick".

 _'Her father's doctor?'_ Chummy thought. She didn't hear that often of the kinds of girls that came here. In fact, it only really belonged to those in the upper classes to have a doctor at your beck and call. Saying nothing and finding nothing untoward going on, Chummy gently palpated the girl's abdomen, locating baby's head which was easily free. "How many weeks are you Josephine? Remind me? I sometimes have a head like a sieve" Chummy asked, pretending to forget, hoping maybe that the girl would make a mistake.

"37, nearly 38" she replied, perfectly straight-faced. Trouble was Chummy, as she pulled out a tape measure, found she was measuring 32 at even the most outside bet and this could be concerning, but as she had to do so many times before with other mothers she kept her face neutral.

"Sit up for me. I just need to take your blood pressure".

It was possible that baby was small, but there was small and _small_. Measuring as good as six weeks behind in your dates could mean something rather horrific, but even in her short examination baby seemed reactive to her touch and was moving. Perhaps she would she would keep an eye on what Josephine was eating; but she wasn't thin by any means so could it mean that there was something with Baby's physiology? There was little she could do about it other than admit her to Hospital and might have done if there was not this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she was not telling the truth.

"Thank you Josephine" she smiled, wrapping the cuff around her hand to put it away. "Why don't you have a walk around the grounds to get to know the place? It's a lovely day".

Josephine nodded, dressed and got up without another word and the moment she closed the door, the telephone in the office rang.

"So did you make any progress?" Peter asked as he found her resting on their bed some hours later, Freddie wiped out in his cot on the other side of the room. She was only having a quick break before dinner, Fred having launched himself into quite the state after he toppled over outside and scraped his chin and who was now, it seemed, sleeping his traumatic experience off.

"So-so. She isn't what she says she is though, Peter. Baby is tiny for how far gone she said she is". She had already taken off her glasses and rubbed the heels of her hands over her eyes. "So either something is very wrong with baby or she's telling porky pies".

"What did you say to her?" he asked, kicking off his plimsolls and pushing them against the wall with his foot.

"Nothing" she replied watching him as he walked around the room. "I need to think. I might telephone Doctor Turner tomorrow. He did say to telephone if I needed him for anything and Patsy's coming up on Friday. I might ask her to see what she thinks too". Chummy ran her hands over her eyes again in frustration. "So how productive was your day?" she asked, wanting to talk about different subjects.

"I've had a _very_ productive day. The bathroom is finished and the cellar," he continued, pulling out the book from his pocket, "is as good as done. Next day off and I'll write up the inventory properly". The book went onto the sideboard.

"Thank you" she smiled genuinely. "I am grateful". She actually felt quite bad that he had two days off and all he had done was maintenance work. "Do you want me to run you a bath?" she asked; having already turned the hot water on an hour ago and hoping to assuage some of the guilt she was feeling. He had paint in his hair; on his face and the overalls were a mess too.

"Do you mind?" he replied as she got up off the bed and padded towards the cot.

"Not at all" she smiled and with a quick look at Fred who was oblivious to the world, they both walked to the other side of the attic rooms, just off the bedroom.

"Keeping me company?" Peter asked as he followed her into the black and white tiled bathroom, unbuttoning the overalls as he went, thoroughly looking forward to a bath. He knew he would ache in the morning from all this lifting and carrying but thankfully his shift didn't start until noon so he didn't have to be up and about early.

"Not in there" she replied, gesturing vaguely at the bath. "I've got visitors coming in about quarter of an hour". The telephone call had been brief and whilst, yes, it was an imposition to have to greet visitors at such short notice, there was a higher purpose to this so it had to be done.

"Oh? Who?" He had not really expected her to say yes but it was worth a try and he was rather curious about who her visitors might be though so he wasn't really concerned.

"Mr McKenzie and his wife it seems" she responded, leaning down to the taps and turning them on as the water rushed into the bath, steam beginning to rise as it filled. Peter just turned himself as they stood in the middle of the rather rangy bathroom. "Him and his _wife_?" he asked, thoroughly surprised.

"Yes" she replied, sitting on the edge of the bath as water plunged in; unafraid any more to watch him as he got undressed, kicking off the overalls to a pair of undershorts and a cotton shirt. "It seems _Mrs_ McKenzie is Josephine's step- sister".

She was about to say more when there was an urgent knock on the door. "That's probably for Valerie. She said she was getting some twinges before".

 _"Sister? Can you come? Valerie's crying!"_

"There you go" Peter replied, leaning down to kiss her after he had whipped the cotton shirt over his head. "Spot on".

Chummy sat down next to Valerie in the girl's spartan room with Sarah on her other side comforting her too, brushing her palm over her back as she encouraged her through another contraction. In her mind Chummy timed it and was reassured that she was correct to be telephoning an ambulance as it did seem as though baby was certainly on his or her way.

"Sister, I don't wanna go" she said through tears, wiping a sleeve over her nose. "I'm frightened! I don't like the pain!"

"I know it's bally terrible" Chummy replied, pulling a tissue from her pocket to stop the girl swiping her tears and her dripping nose on her sleeve. "I do know you know. _Properly know, remember?_ "

Valerie nodded, feeling the Sister squeeze her shoulder. Freddie of course, she'd had Freddie so she understood what these pains felt like and how frightened she might be too.

"But all of those horrible pains mean that you are getting closer to seeing Baby. Tick every one off the list as being one step closer to holding him or her in your arms" Chummy assured her, as Valerie smiled as best she could. She was one of the rare ones that was keeping her child; albeit as Chummy knew that the child would be brought up her sibling.

"I don't want to go to Hospital Sister. I want you to deliver it" she continued, still crying more from fear than any kind of pain she was in. She knew about Nonnatus; her married sister had been delivered of a little boy by Sister Julienne and they seemed so much nicer than having to go to Hospital and Sister Noakes had been so kind to her.

"You know I can't Valerie", Chummy replied sympathetically, her hand still coursing over the young girl's back. "Social Services won't let me unless it's an emergency".

There was a quick knock on the door and Gracie popped her head around. "Ambulance is on its way Sister and I spoke to your Mum, Val. She's going to meet you at the Hospital". Valerie nodded still sniffling back tears and with that the doorbell downstairs went too.

"Sorry old thing but Gracie, can you get that? I think it's probably for me. A Mr and Mrs McKenzie. Put them in the front sitting room would you? And see if they want a cup of tea?" Chummy asked, holding onto Valerie's hand, feeling the girl shaking as she realised that her time was upon her.

"Yes Sister" Gracie replied. "Do you want me to get the box too?"

Chummy sighed. "Yes, and put it on the table at the bottom of the stairs? The office isn't locked". How she hated having to hide these girls and make sure they were wearing one of those old battered wedding rings in that horrid tin box that use to clearly house peppermints. She had no choice though if she was to keep up appearances even though the world and its wife knew who lived up at the Lodge. Gracie closed the door behind her leaving the three in the room.

"Now let's get your coat on" Chummy continued, helping the girl up with Sarah supporting her arm on the other side. "The ambulance will be here soon and they will look after you I promise".

With Valerie gone, Gracie crept up behind Chummy as she stood in the hallway.

"I put them in the sitting room like you said Sister. There's a cup of tea in there for you too" she offered, wondering why this Mr McKenzie seemed to have come back with a woman in tow. Perhaps she was the women who was taking Josephine's baby?

"Thank you Gracie. You are such a help" Chummy replied, steeling herself to open the sitting room door.


	6. Chapter 6

"We are really sorry to have to disturb you Sister" the woman started immediately feeling the need to apologise profusely before she had even really started, "and I am sorry for the subterfuge of it all".

Mrs McKenzie was blonde, petite and sporting black from head to foot as she stood in the middle of the sitting room; the disagreeable Mr McKenzie standing beside her. She and her husband had politely risen from their seats on the brown velvet settee as soon as Chummy entered the room.

"That's quite alright" Chummy said, gesturing towards the seat, trying to ignore the look of contempt on the man's face, clearly objecting to being brought here once again _and_ by his wife this time. "Please, sit back down".

"As I said on the telephone, I'm Josephine's step sister. I'm Sophia" she quickly added, looking to her husband for support as they settled again. "Alastair and I have been discussing our situation and we felt that you needed to meet us properly for Josephine's benefit".

The telephone call had been somewhat brief but rather enlightening for the Nurse who had run from the treatment to her office to catch it, having sent her charge off for a walk in the garden, hearing the female voice on the other end of the line.

 _"_ _Aston Lodge, Sister speaking"_

 _"_ _Oh, yes! I was looking to speak to Sister Noakes?"_

 _"_ _Yes, Sister Noakes speaking"_

 _"_ _Yes, hello. I was just wondering if I could arrange to meet you? To come to the Lodge? Tonight if at all possible. I'm Sophia McKenzie, Josephine Baker's step-sister and I think we need to speak to each other"._

Chummy had been sure she had heard a male voice in the background whilst she was on the telephone and now back in the present, she took one look across at 'Alastair'. No, he still looked as though he could not bear to be here; looking bored and disgruntled but that seemed to be his default expression if the last visit was anything to go by so she let it go.

"And for you to know that we really do want to the best for her" Sophia added, adjusting her patent leather handbag on her knee. "She is my sister after all and well...She's my sister", she concluded with a pained smile.

"We all want the best for her" Chummy added, sitting up straight and still unnerved by the husband but equally as interested and she might say curious as to what the family had to say for themselves. She wasn't being paranoid; there was certainly something underneath the surface and Chummy was determined to find out.

"Has Josie told you anything about herself?" Sophia asked, wondering what may or may not have been said. She knew her step-sister had a fertile imagination on her and here, with another group of girls probably all older than her Sophia would hope, she dare not think what was coming out of Josephine's mouth.

Chummy shook her head. "Not much at all. Only that you are her step sister and she has other siblings."

"Yes" Sophia replied, nodding. "Her father; he married my mother when Josie was four. They moved from London to Norfolk where we lived, into my mother's house. She was left it when my father died and her father had some financial problems at the time so it was suitable for all. Alastair and I only live twenty or so minutes drive away from here now and I've always known the Lodge was here and when father, well, when Josephine came into our care…" She paused, deciding that yes she was going to tell the Sister everything and with a heavy sigh she carried on. "Yes when father found out she was, well in _that way,_ well he didn't throw her out on the streets but he wouldn't have her in the house. So she came to us instead. We agreed to take care of her for the duration of the remainder of the pregnancy".

Chummy nodded as Sophia took a deep breath. "He has decided the baby will be adopted. That's one of the reasons we came to see you; to tell you that is what he has decided and to put the wheels in motion as it where".

"Her _father_ has decided?" Chummy asked, throat drying up. She knew the child was a minor but she believed every girl under this roof had the right to make a choice for herself and her child.

"Yes" Sophia continued. "We _really_ cannot bring the scandal into the family and we know you will be able to assist us. Father has his status to consider; so do we. But as I said Alastair and I have been discussing matters and well there has been enough lying already so we have to tell you the truth. We owe it to you as you are caring for her".

"Go on", Chummy said, not wanting to prompt her, concerned that it seemed that her first instincts were correct that Josephine was not a loose girl from the back end of nowhere or a slum in the East End.

"She is not seventeen" Sophia began. "She is fifteen".

Chummy nodded. "I know. Is Baker her real name?"

She saw Sophia's head drop. "Not entirely. It's Baker-Clough. Double barrelled".

Before Chummy could say any more, particularly as there was something about that name that rang more bells that Big Ben, Mr MrKenzie interrupted any more questioning. "Josephine…" he began, having been silent for some time. "She…her character, Sister. She _craves_ attention. We think it is from losing her mother so young that she will misbehave to simple bring your eyes to her. She acts older than she is and it has well, she has attracted unwanted attention over the years from well, parties who ought to know better". He paused, wetting his lips slightly in apprehension, stealing a glance at his wife who gave him a curt nod. It must have been his signal to carry on.

"She will attach herself to men" he continued, "and some will take advantage. Someone has taken advantage".

Chummy nodded. So that was why she was down in the cellar, possibly? Garnering some attention from the only male in the building. "Do you know who the father is?" Chummy asked. Surely someone might have an inkling? A fifteen year old girl must not be allowed that much freedom to consort; Chummy certainly wasn't at that age.

Sophia shook her head, looking to her husband for support. "No, Sister" she replied. "We genuinely do not know. She has refused to tell us. I think that is why father is so angry. He doesn't know who to chase down with a shotgun!"

It would be painful if it was not so true and Chummy did have to ask. "Do you know how many weeks pregnant is she? Truthfully?"

Josephine was up in her room, knowing her step sister was downstairs but hoping and praying that she did not have to go and greet them as it would be such a bind; to put it mildly. It was their fault she was here; him with his sneering ways and that step-sister of hers she was no friend either, forcing her to come here. She never wanted to live with them but when it was a choice between father, that witch the rest of that Godforsaken family, her step sister and _him_ were the best of a bad job.

They had a room at the front and she could see the car down there, wanting to see them get in and just drive away. Lord knows what they were telling the Sister downstairs. Gracie had noticed the girl had been quite quiet but she had been quiet on her first few days so it was nothing new, but she still wanted to engage with her if they were going to be together for the next few weeks.

"So how are you settling in?" Gracie asked, seeing the girl who looked miles away as she stared out onto the grounds of the Lodge below.

"I think it's alright" Josephine replied casually, not turning around and still watching the car as it stood motionless on the gravel.

"I heard some horrible things about here before I came" Gracie began seeing Katie walk into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. "But I think that was the old Sister. Sister Noakes is lovely. She doesn't look down on us does she Kate?"

The other girl smiled putting a basket of washing on her bed. "No, definitely not. She listens to me talking any old rubbish all day and lets me baby sit for her". Both girls had felt nervous and judged for coming to the Lodge but now they almost didn't want to leave. It was certainly better than home for Katie least.

"I saw Sister kissing a man…." Josephine suddenly offered, not intending to gossip, well not really, but it came out anyway. "He had his hands all over her". It was an utter exaggeration but the two others heads turned towards her and she knew she had their undivided attention at this snippet.

"What man?" Gracie asked thoroughly confused, folding up the blanket on her bed to sit down, casting a glance at Katie who shared an equally mystified look.

"The handyman" Josephine replied, turning properly to face them, hands on her lap and feeling her heart skip as clearly the others were interested in what she had to say; knowing something they didn't it seemed and that little devil on her shoulder suddenly sprung into life at their, or what she interpreted as, expectant faces.

"We haven't got one" Katie responded, coming to sit down next to the two other girls, admittedly wondering what was going on.

"There was a man in the cellar. He knew her first name. Called her Camilla" Josephine replied proudly.

"Well that is Sister's name" Katie considered. "There is a doctor that visits but he's married and he's not been up here for a couple for weeks at least", Katie offered still flummoxed over who the 'handyman' was.

Josephine was confused that two people who had been here longer than she was didn't know they had a handyman and she almost laughed. "I saw Sister kissing the handyman the other day. On the cellar stairs" she emphasised, certain of what she saw.

"What did he look like?" Gracie asked curiously.

"A little bit shorter than her. Blue eyes, reddy brown hair. Nice smile" Josephine replied. "He was polite to me".

"Oh! That's the Sergeant" Gracie replied with a laugh, suddenly realising that it must be Sergeant Noakes and to be honest rather relieved. Even though they knew he could be quiet around them, he was as much a part of the furniture now that Sister was that she didn't even think it could be him.

"Who?" Josephine asked.

"Nurse Noakes' _husband_ " Katie responded, realising with some horror that there had been an awful mix up it seemed and not sure whether she was seeing that the other girl was lapping up their response. "He's a Policeman down in Poplar. He lives here with her, but we don't see him around much because he stays upstairs but he's always nice to us when he is here".

"So is that little blonde boy their baby?" Josephine asked, barely feeling the embarrassment that she should have been at her mistake. She had seen Freddie teetering around the place and knew he must be the Sister's as he was too old for anyone else.

"Freddie? Yes. Isn't he just the most gorgeous fella?" Gracie smiled dreamily, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "I want this one to have blonde hair like that and blue eyes. Kenny's got blonde hair". She did miss him so.

"Did you really think Sister was really at it with the handyman?!" Katie asked laughing suddenly. "I've never even seen him kiss her or even hold her hand!"

Gracie paused for a moment, a wash of dread running from her head to toe as it dawned on her all of a sudden. "Have you asked anyone else about him? Said anything to anyone else?" She was quite protective of Sister Noakes when it came to it and suddenly felt really quite ill that stories could be spreading around the girls that were entirely untrue.

"Have you?" Katie chipped in, voice slightly firmer this time. She really liked the Sister; trusted her too and if something like this got out of hand, well, she might leave and then they would go back to those rumours they had heard about how the Lodge was run before.

Josephine bit her lip. "The girl with the really short hair next door. Marie?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "She's the worst gossip in here! What did you _actually_ say to her?" she continued.

"That I saw Sister kissing someone hiding away down by the cellar steps…." Josephine replied, seeing a flash of anger in both girls eyes as Gracie gave Katie a quick look.

"Yes to her husband!" Katie exclaimed, face dropping, knowing they would have to speak to Marie and anyone else that might have spread something so salacious and blatantly untrue. "I know we gossip a bit, but please don't gossip about Sister and her husband. She's good to us".

Josephine nodded, momentarily contrite, a glint catching her eye from down below as the car door opened.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the car pulled away but didn't apologise for her mistake.


	7. Chapter 7

She was weary of bone and mind as Chummy closed the door quietly, finding the attic rooms somewhat empty. It was a very quick walk from the sitting room to the kitchen, to their bedroom and bathroom and she covered it in short time. No Peter, no Freddie and the place was deserted. "Must be off on one of their walks" she muttered to herself, rubbing her own palm over her tight shoulders. Many a night, now here in the fresh air, one or both would take an evening walk with Fred, just around the grounds, but it was often enough to put the boy to sleep.

Chummy smiled quietly and, after kicking off her shoes, flopped down on the bed. 'They'll be back soon' she thought to herself as her eyes closed of their own accord. The conversation with the McKenzie's had been exhausting, it was the end of a very long day and just a few minutes of shut-eye would be heaven.

However long it was, in reality half an hour at most, Peter noticed her; flat out on her back, asleep it seemed. The weight leaning against his chest shifted too. "Are you in the land of nod too then Freds?" he asked the little boy who was wrapped up in a blanket from their late evening 'walk' and snoozing away. Ever so gently Peter placed the boy in his cot, covering him up and pressing a kiss his forehead.

"Night night mate" he started, brushing the boy's hair. "You know what bed bugs do".

As quietly as he could, Peter pushed off his shoes and unbuttoned his cardigan. It had been too warm for a coat but whilst it might have been already past Freddie's bed time but it certainly wasn't his or Camilla's. Still though, she seemed to be well away and he didn't really want to disturb her. He crept onto the bed and settled on his pillow, laying on his front. Her hand, bedecked in her wedding ring was inches from his and he ran the tip of his finger over the gold; trying not to disturb it so much. Out of the corner of his eye though he saw Freddie move, stretching his arms out to come to rest in his sleep with a second of a distressed murmur and a sigh. Peter watched him for a moment as he settled himself and turned his attentions back to his wife.

Unbeknownst to him she'd opened her eyes too, disturbed by Freddie.

"Did he wake you up?" Peter asked. She scrunched her nose and nodded, quite used to just 'feeling' things about her son that she couldn't describe even to him. Chummy stretched her back, not sensing the day tumble from her muscles as she had hoped by her short nap.

"So tell me what happened?" he asked, getting settled. Peter had been in the grounds with Freddie when the car carrying the McKenzie's pulled away and the sour faced pair, having a rather heated discussion it seemed, had caught his attention as they left the grounds.

Chummy settled herself too to tell the whole sorry saga.

"She is fifteen" she began, needing him to be her outlet. "The mother died when she was four and her father remarried to Sophia's mother. That's the step sister, Sophia that came today. She was shipped out to Norfolk with the father but I really get the impression she did not like it one bit _and"_ she emphasised for effect, _"_ she is 32 weeks pregnant as well".

"So how do they explain you being told she was nearly having it?" Peter asked, wondering for a moment how they might get that bit of news past a midwife.

Chummy sighed. "The father told the McKenzie's to tell me she was nearly term so they could get her out of the house. She was living with those two and they must have thought that once she was here, I could hardly return her like an unwanted package. It was to stop gossip because she was showing and I never saw her until she turned up the other day. They were going to tell anyone that asked that she had been sent away to study".

"So they just wanted her out of sight?" he asked as she nodded. "That's horrible" he continued, noticing she was still frowning away. "And that was that?"

Chummy took an even bigger sigh. "No, but please don't say anything to anyone".

"Camilla", he said, brushing away a strand of hair that had escaped over her eye as she slept, her forehead relaxing a touch, even though her insides were still knotted up. "Have I ever broken a confidence of yours?"

"No, sorry, you haven't. _Never_ ". She turned on her side to face him. "Her real name is Josephine Baker-Clough".

"That sounds quite…. " Peter began, not wanting to say the words, but quite frankly it sounded rather upper class.

"It does, doesn't it?" she replied, clearly seeing he was thinking the same as she was. "When I was at Roedean there were two Baker-Clough girls there a year or two below me. Age wise they might be her cousins or even the step-sisters if they took the father's name. One has to say one didn't recognise Sophia, but who knows?"

"There can't be many of them around" he noted, thinking it over together with all the connotations that Josephine was now under his wife's roof and her professional care.

"No" she frowned, lacing her fingers together over her middle. "Now I know the name, I think they were friends of Pa's too; or at least good acquaintances. I am sure of it".

"Oh" Peter replied, voice suddenly flat. "Are you going tell her?"

"Tell her what though Peter? That I might have seen her father, even an uncle, once or twice at distance? It won't change my care for her" she insisted, not relishing delivering that news to him at all.

"I know that". He paused for a moment. "What does the father do?"

"Well if it is the right person" she continued, recalling every sorry second of it, "he was something in finance. Property but by the sounds of it they lost most of it and he has built himself back up again so he doesn't want to have the scandal one supposes now he is back in the crowd".

"So they wanted rid of her as soon as they could?" he asked, resisting just wanting to lean across and take tight hold of her waist as she nodded. "And the baby?"

"Adopted. Josephine doesn't know". He saw her swallow heavily. "It's arranged and she will have no say. It will just happen when the child is born. So they say" she concluded with a heavy shrug but there was something she was holding back.

"And?" he asked suspiciously but the words stuck in her throat and he could tell that there was something waiting to bubble to the surface. "And?" he repeated firmly, seeing her eyes drop to the bedclothes and she licked her lips, building herself up to tell him.

"They want me to tell her" she replied, heavy of heart and sad at being compromised in that way by two absolute strangers. "Tell her the baby will be taken from her at birth".

"I _do hope_ you refused Camilla…" Peter warned, tipping her head back up so he could look her in the eyes. He never really put his foot down with her at all but this was one occasion where, to save her the distress, it may be called for. She was not this child's mother and her responsibility did not extend to news like this.

"I most certainly did" she replied, seeing relief on his face. "I told them to attend to it privately and if it was proceeding that they just needed to tell me when and how. They came here under a private arrangement and will leave that way". She was really quite straight about this and had been firm with the McKenzies, surprising herself in the process as the moment they told her of what the plans were, she felt extraordinarily protective of the girl.

"Good" he replied with a smile, realising that was probably why they looked so annoyed in the car when he saw them leave.

"It's not my place and besides… she might want to keep the baby. She is my responsibility while she is under this roof and….." She paused as Freddie mithered for a moment and settled again. "They have enough money to make sure that baby is looked after. Some of these girls haven't got two pennies to rub together but they keep their babies. Money isn't a problem in caring for the little soul….".

"But reputation is more important?"

Chummy nodded. "I know some of these babies get passed off as siblings, but at least they are with their families and Josephine _could_ keep her if she wanted to if the family were not so pig-headed and thought what effect that would have on her". Peter could feel the niggling anger and he was really not quite sure whether it was purely Josephine's situation that was pressing at her. He knew enough to know that she might be seeing some of herself within the girl and her relationships with her family and perhaps he ought to let her get it out of her system one way or another.

"By the sounds of that family, the kid might be better off without them" he replied bluntly. "Look at my cousin Paul. Look at Angela".

"Yes I know and I know Shelagh does a marvellous job and she is so loved, but if that were Freddie…I'd be wondering every second of the day where he was and, oh, I don't know. I'd want them together but it's not my choice".

"Still nothing on the father?" Peter asked, wondering if there was a chance that whoever he was could exert some influence. In reality it was probably a gutless teenager but you never knew.

"No" she replied, having broached that subject with the McKenzie's too if they were all up for telling the truth. "That's the only thing I genuinely believe about the whole thing. They really don't know".

"So are you going to talk to her?" he asked tentatively.

"I will. If she is 32 weeks then she is going to be here longer than most and I might get her to see if she will trust me. From that tonight she doesn't seem to have anyone to support her very much at all".

"I'm sure you'll find a way" Peter reassured her as Freddie moved again, sounding like he was about to cry. Peter, facing in that direction, could see his fingers flexing as though he was trying to grab hold of something and was momentarily concerned that he seemed rather upset today.

"He's just dreaming" Chummy noted, following Peter's gaze to the cot. "Hopefully he's out for the night".

Peter turned his attentions back to her, deciding to take her word for it. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really. You?" she asked, thinking it was creeping towards supper time, but she was not remotely in need of food and it seemed neither was her husband, quite content to just rest a while.

"No. I can wait" he replied shuffling across the bed closer to her and catching her lips in a kiss. She smiled sleepily at him. "Oh it's that way is it?" she teased.

"Might be" he replied, turning over his bottom lip in contemplation before he reached back across, feeling her hand touch his cheek, resting there as he kissed her again. The kisses intensified and she felt his hand drift from her neck to engulf a breast, still hidden under her uniform and the noise he heard in the back of her throat only caused him to press on for some moments. That was until she pulled away slightly.

"Oh dear" she said, feeling that familiar tingling let down in her breasts as his hand massaged her; a small damp mark appeared darkening a patch of material. "They think you're Fred".

Peter sniggered. "Reminds me of the old days!" he commented as she stared at her chest, triggering memories of that first time after the baby had been born and her nerves at what her body now was and what it could do.

"Supply and demand Peter" she replied, no longer conscious of it and neither was he. Sometimes, once they had grown used to the idea, it had become funny and she had been reassured he was not going to run a mile at the sight of something so natural to feed their son so she relaxed. "He was so upset when he fell over; he only wanted me and now _they_ think he's at it regularly again with his night feeds as well. It's definitely coming up here that's done it. Unsettled him" she sighed, looking down to examine her uniform.

"But that's normal for him to do that?" he asked, diverted for a moment even though she was unbuttoning in front of his eyes.

"Perfectly" she smiled. "He'll be fine wants he gets used to the place".

"Sure?" he asked, reluctant for a moment to touch her, talking of their son's welfare more of a priority but she just nodded and, beaming, reached for him again.


	8. Chapter 8

Fuelled by a somewhat decent night's sleep; Chummy picked up the ringing telephone as she sat in her office. "Aston Lodge, Sister speaking".

"Hello, hello" came the voice from the other end of the line; a voice she readily recognised.

"Patsy!" Chummy replied, happy to hear a friendly voice. "How are you old girl?"

"Fighting fit" she responded, having telephoned just to make sure that the arrangements for her visit were still in place. "Are you still tip top for me to come up tonight?"

"Of course!" Chummy confirmed, sitting back in her chair. "Peter will collect you just past six".

"Collect me? He doesn't have to..."

"Yes he does" she insisted. "He's on days now for a few weeks and we can't have you trailing all the way here on the bus. He's got the car so its no concern to come back up past Nonnatus. He suggested it himself".

"Well it would be awfully handy" Patsy replied, really quite relieved to be honest that she would not have to sit on the bone shaking, rattling bus for the evening to get up to the Lodge.

"Consider it done" Chummy responded. "I do hope you don't mind us putting you up in one of the rooms next door to the girls though? We've no space otherwise".

A relatively quiet day followed and the news that another Nurse was coming to visit spread like wildfire. There was no-one there that remembered Nurse Mount so they were all wittering away at the prospect of a new face and now in the early evening up in the attic rooms, Patsy sat presented with a cup of tea as Chummy settled opposite her.

"So how is everything going?" Patsy asked taking a sip of tea. She was still so glad Peter came to collect her; the car luxurious against that blessed bus and they had a rather nice chat on the journey.

Chummy paused for a moment, thinking before she spoke. "The place was such a mess, old girl it really was, but I think we are seeing the light of day at last. Peter and Dr Turner have been such angels in all they've done to help me".

"Oh that is good" Patsy responded, remembering she had been told in no uncertain terms to tell Chummy that Nonnatus was not the same without her. "We do miss you, you know".

"I miss Nonnatus" she replied with a sad smile.

"Wouldn't you consider staying up here permanently?" Patsy asked.

Chummy shook her head. "No matter how good the air is up here we are bursting out of this place already. No, it's not a place to have more than one child in. Not even space enough for two adults as it is!" she exclaimed. There were used to it by now, but both came to the very swift conclusion that living here long term was simply not an option.

"Was that a hint?" Patsy asked, eyes wide.

"What? Oh gosh no! The Council know that we are staying until they get someone else. They are hoping to have someone else settled in before Christmas so come the New Year we should have one of those new houses up in Redbridge. Peter put us on the waiting list last week" she responded, quite excited about their new house. "Peter told me there are some new faces", Chummy continued with a smile, wrapping her hands around her tea cup. He had only spent one week of nights up there and he had returned with some stories!

"There's Barbara. She is lovely though, very sweet, and Nurse Crane….." Patsy suddenly struggled for the words. "Well, I don't think we are going to see far under the surface somehow. She and Sister Evangelina tend to rub each other up the wrong way".

"Peter did say she was a bit brisk" Chummy replied, remembering those conversations when Peter had reported the goings on there. "Wants everything done a specific way and all that"

"That's just about it" Patsy replied, taking a glance around herself. "Where is Peter by the way?" He had disappeared with Freddie within minutes of getting changed and even though it was probably out of politeness not to intrude between the two nurses, she and Peter had taken up residence next to each other at the supper table and they had started to gravitate towards each other in conversation too.

"He and Freddie have these walks they go on" Chummy clarified. "One has no idea where they go or what they get up to but it puts Fred to sleep so one really doesn't object!"

"Don't you go?"

"Once in a while" she smiled, wondering whether to broach the subject now whilst she was thinking on. "I was wondering Pats, do you mind me running a small problem over with you? Professionally? About one of the girls?"

"Course not. Fire away!" she replied, settling and getting comfortable as outside Peter and Freddie were meandering around the grounds as the evening drew on. It was really still quite warm and they were certainly not alone in taking some fresh air.

"Hello Katherine" Peter said as they passed the girl who was walking back towards the side entrance to the Lodge.

"Mr Noakes please call me Katie" she smiled, taking hold of the hand that Freddie had stretched out towards her, grinning at the boy. "Only me Dad calls me Katherine".

"Katie then" he replied as Freddie wriggled out of his arms, wanting to be put on the ground.

"Do you want to go for a walk Freddie?" Katie asked, seeing the boy take a step or two testing out the ground and put his arms back up to Peter, expecting to be picked up again. "No, no, no" Freddie began, quickly shaking his head; the concept of having to walk far too all consuming. "Dadda up".

"Evidently not!" Peter smiled, leaning down to hoist him up.

"Do they do that all the time?" Katie asked, seeing the split second change in the boy.

Peter laughed. He was quite comfortable around Katie; probably the only one he was. "Constantly. He doesn't know what he wants from one minute to the next sometimes!"

"I got a lot to learn ain't I?" she smiled, smoothing her hand over her stomach. "And quickly!".

"You never stop learning once!" Peter remarked, knowing he was still finding things out about himself as a father every single day. "Once you stop learning, that's the moment to have words with yourself and..."

"Katie!" came a screeching voice from an upstairs window, interrupting them. "Are you 'elping me wiv vis washin' or standin talkin' all night?!" Sarah shouted, grateful that Sister wasn't within earshot otherwise she'd being having words about being uncouth and yelling down three floors.

"S'pose I'd better go and help!" Katie whispered to Peter and the two parted company.

Once she was out of sight, Peter pressed a kiss to the side of his sons head. "Shall we go and see if we can see if the ducks are still up?" he asked. There was a small pond, actually over the fence on the next house, but you could see the residents at a respectful distance and the neighbours already knew of the small boy's fascination with the ducks and they never minded when he visited.

"No!" Freddie retaliated, shaking his head. Peter knew sometimes that Fred's 'no' was sometimes 'yes' so he was quite prepared to persist and try again.

"Sure?" Peter asked, thinking for a second, seeing the boy vehemently shake his head again. "How about we go and have a look at the apple blossom trees then?"

"Trees!" Fred repeated, pointing in the direction of the back of the house, where the line of apple trees stood, kicking his father in the stomach in his enthusiasm causing Peter to catch his breath. "Trees!"

"Good, now you've decided, let's go!" he replied bouncing Fred along as Peter rounded the side of the house but ahead of him, by what looked like it used to be a potting shed, he heard female voices. Sometimes he was rather unsure around the girls, being the only male in the vicinity and he really didn't want to listen in but something caught his attention particularly as Freddie now insisted on walking, mithering and wiggling to get out of his arms causing him to stop walking. Peter put the boy gently down on the ground.

 _"So did she really say that?"_ came one voice. He thought that could be Erica.

 _"Hmmm…..saw 'er wiv 'er own eyes she said"._ Now that was definitely Marie.

 _"But kissing him?"_ Peter suddenly realised it was just gossiping girls and he was entirely uninterested, quietly uttering a 'come on Freds, let's go and look at the trees' at the boy who had wandered a few feet from him and was pulling up chunks of grass.

 _"Properly kissing him too. She said she was 'idden away kissin' him. Like secretly"_

 _"But she's married to the Sarge isn't she?"_ That made Peter stop in his tracks. He had one eye on Freddie who had decided that stumbling around in circles was far more interesting and thankfully as he and the boy were walking on the grass, nobody heard their footsteps.

 _"Yes"_ the other voice replied. Peter could actually hear some sadness and his heart rate suddenly picked up _. "An' its obvious 'e really loves 'er an' all"._

 _"Sister's not like vat vo. She wouldn't be kissin' no man vat weren't ve Sarge"._ Clearly that was someone else. Maybe Rose or that could have been Lil. They sounded too the same for him but anxiety hit as he realised it was him and Camilla that were being talked about. Suddenly all the voices melded into one and he was not sure whether he was angry at himself for listening in or the fact that he was being scurrilously gossiped about. A thought unbidden popped into his head as he took another step forward, a few birds tweeting high above his head. There's no smoke without fire! There's no smoke with out fire don't you know Noakes!

 _"Josie says she was vo. Insistent on it"._ Now that was Marie. She didn't really care that Katie or Gracie had told her it was rubbish already as it was _gossip_ and she thrived on talk. " _Josie'd 'ave no reason to make it up"._

 _"Might she have made it up?"_

 _"Dunno, but there's no need to say things like that if it isn't true"_

 _"She don't look as fat as us"_ someone else observed. Now he was sure there were at least four behind the potting shed but it almost didn't matter any more that they had clearly moved onto another subject although he had stopped trying to define who was saying what.

 _"We're not fat!"_

 _"Well she don't look as far gone as us. I always fought vis place only took us a couple of weeks before"._

 _"So did I….."_

Peter scowled and breathed in heavily, imagination running away with itself, wondering what to do. His attention caught Freddie who had toddled off towards the trees. He would have a long think about this.

Between talking to Patsy and keeping an eye on the supper cooking away in the kitchen, Chummy was really quite pleased to have some company. She loved caring for the girls and adored Peter but sometimes it was nice to just have the company of another woman of the same age who understood what her days were like. Between them, as Patsy had insisted on helping, the table had been set for supper and Freddie's high chair pushed into place where he would sit, and, as Patsy stirred the pot, the smell of chicken stew permeated around the attics. Chummy was about to put the last plate on the table when there was knock on the door.

"It'll be one of the girls" Chummy noted pulling the tea towel from her shoulder. "Someone might have gone into labour".

When she opened the door though she found Gracie and Katie standing there looking altogether far too serious. They had asked for a quiet word and as Chummy listened intensely to what they had to say she tried to keep a straight face; tried not to outwardly show what her heart was telling her but wondered equally if she was failing in that too.

"We know it was you and the Sarge down the cellar steps," Gracie concluded, finishing their story. "But she didn't".

"So she has been spreading rumours?" Chummy asked. So the McKenzie's seemed correct; she was an attention seeker after all.

"She didn't mean any harm Sister we don't think" Katie stuttered seeing the Sister nod carefully. "We think she has told a couple of the girls. Marie's one of them" Katie contined, seeing the Sister was contemplating matters over in her mind, "but we put them right for you Sister as soon as we heard".

"Perhaps next time you see her, tell her I need to see her? But in the morning?" Chummy asked.

"We will Sister" the girls replied in unison, seeing Peter and Freddie at the bottom of the stairs waiting to come up

The girls gone and Patsy still at the stove in the kitchen, Chummy smiled at her husband as she closed the door behind him, running a palm over her son's cheek. "Are you nearly asleep little chap?" she whispered but looking up and seeing Peter with a foul look on his face.

"Pats, how about I show you your room and then we can come back up for supper?" Chummy smiled, still wondering why Peter looked annoyed. Patsy picked up her suitcase and coat and walked across to the door with a smile.

"Peter?" Chummy asked; it taking a second for him to turn around. "Would you mind awfully just keeping an eye on that pan?"

He shook his head and wandered towards the kitchen, still with Freddie in his arms seeing Chummy and Patsy walked from the attic rooms and out of the door. "We'll just get you settled in" he heard his wife say, the door shutting again, "then I can serve up".


	9. Chapter 9

"You're not in bed".

Peter raised his head from where it had been propped against his hand as he leant on the arm of the settee. It was gone two o'clock in the morning and he had barely slept. Supper had been a quiet affair; he had smiled when Freddie insisted on giving Patsy a slobbery kiss goodnight and they had all retired no later or earlier than normal but it all still wasn't right.

Now he found himself sitting, staring at the maroon rug in front of the hearth and well, just _staring_ as his mind slowly ticked over with unwanted thoughts until he heard her quiet voice from his side.

"I couldn't sleep" he muttered in response, going back to his spot on the rug as Chummy stood in the middle of the bedroom doorway. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Freddie wriggling under his blanket, but her waking up in bed and finding no-one beside her had caused her to walk to the sitting room where she found him wondering where he had gone to in the middle of the night. There were no lights on but she could see him clearly, wrapped up in his dressing gown; legs stretched out in front of him.

Biting the bullet, as it was so very obvious that there was something far more worrying than lack of sleep, she went and sat beside him. Pointedly, she turned her knees towards him and waited.

"You tell me I have walls" she observed, trying to sound casual. "Please tell me Peter".

She heard him sigh. "Have we had any visitors recently? New people coming here, apart from the girls?"

"No why?" Chummy replied, shaking her head but hearing a brittleness in his voice that she had not really heard from him before. "Nobody new at all".

"No bother then" he muttered, going back to propping up his cheek with his hand and deep into the recesses of his mind. She watched him for a moment through half open eyes and decided she would say it anyway.

"Peter please, something is clearly bothering you and….." She sighed sharply, seeing him almost refuse to look at her. "But fine. If you don't want to talk to me, then it's fine". Chummy shrugged her shoulders as huffily as she could with all intents to provoke him to react, but had no intentions of moving a muscle until he spoke. Something she had learned with these girls and indeed with her patients back in Poplar was sometimes that you had to be cruel to be kind and now that extended to her husband; having long realised that wasn't going to cause him to slam doors in her face if she challenged him. It didn't stop the anxiety entirely though as she watched his face carefully for a response.

Peter knew as well that when a woman said 'fine' it was certainly not 'fine' at all and she was not budging from her spot. That was as clear as day as she continued to sit resolutely by his side with her hands resting on her lap expecting him to answer whether he liked it or not.

"I heard something I certainly wasn't meant to and it made me think" he replied, really quite flatly in tone recalling that panic that had hit him in the middle hearing the girl's words, irrationality having taken over sensible thought for a moment.

"Go on" she replied tentatively as he looked at her for the first time and sighed sharply. There was a lot of sighing going on and it was unnerving them both.

"The girls were talking about you" he paused before stuttering. "Talking about... _us_ …about us. You and me".

"Oh?" He heard her voice wobble. She had heard so much idle gossip, fabricated and exaggerated talk this last month to last her a lifetime and she had already had to have quiet word with one or two of the girls to be careful what they said and it would seem that perhaps it now extended to her. She knew Peter would not have jumped to any kind of unnecessary conclusion, she hoped. "What did you hear?"

"That they saw you kissing someone that wasn't your husband" he declared as realisation suddenly washed over her as she joined the dots between the events of the day. This was what Gracie and Katie had warned her about and he must have overheard something somewhere along the line and had started churning it over in his head for however long it might be now.

"No" Chummy began firmly, determined that she would be setting the record straight. "I was seen kissing my husband who happened to look suspiciously not like a police officer because he was wearing filthy overalls and it was someone who didn't know you and frankly someone whose situation and attitude, I might say, I am entirely unimpressed with". She took a breath. "I have every intention of bringing it up with her tomorrow – today - as well".

Peter looked up at her. "I know my brain doesn't work fast some of the time, but I slowly worked that one out Camilla. That it was me". It had dawned on him in sleep, something somewhere giving him a swift talking to as he dreamt not to be so mistrusting; particularly on the back of gossip and what he knew already of his wife.

"But?" she asked. There was obviously something else on his mind; even she could tell.

"But it made me think about how I would feel if it was true" he offered. That was what was annoying him; knowing that she just wouldn't but how perhaps he might feel if she did. Peter didn't want to think of things this way but she was just so precious to him that all possible eventualities seemed to just converge on him.

"But it's not and I bally hope you know it!" Chummy was really quite horrified that he would even think that. She knew herself, but acknowledging it in the back of her mind, that whilst they were as close as they could be, there was still a lot to learn. She knew she would never take that path, but how, really did he?

"Yes…" he began. "It's not that, it's not that it happened but ….."

"Because you know" she replied, pausing for a moment as she realised she need to rephrase her statement. "I _hope_ you know that I would never do that to you". He had given her so much these last few years; love that seemed to be near on unconditional, confidence, faith and that heavenly little creature who was sleeping next door and Chummy knew she would move mountains for it to stay that way.

"No, I know" he conceded. "I just…when I heard them, I just couldn't think straight. I know you'd never do that but it made me wonder how…" he swallowed again feeling really rather quite nervous; far more apprehensive than he had been around her in quite a while. "How I might feel if you did".

"And?" she replied, actually feeling rather nauseous as he just shook his head, not wanting to reveal his true feelings to her as she'd think he was weak to even contemplate such things. "You can say, Peter" she pleaded, seeing him scowl. "Please".

"I" he began pressing his lips together to summon up the strength. "I'd wonder why you did it. I'd be angry and I wouldn't understand but…" She saw him frown. He wasn't meant to feel this way or tell her his innermost feelings. "But I'd also wonder what I must have done wrong too, to force you to look outside our front door".

Chummy smiled ironically. "Funny that" she started, taking his other hand that had been resting across his middle, "because I'd think the same way. What I'd done to drive you into another woman's arms". She shook her head in disbelief for a moment. "Peter…." she began. "Nobody in my life touched me – emotionally or physically for that – before you and I can assure you that if someone did turn my head, they would have so high to leap to be remotely near you, they wouldn't make it."

He smiled. "I couldn't help it. I knew it couldn't be true. Deep down. But I really wouldn't know what to do if it was".

"Me neither", she replied quietly, shaking her head, examining the small scar he had on the back of his hand.

"I just thought…" he pondered, mind still unwilling to leave the subject, wondering what harm it could have caused to anyone but them.

"Peter, shush" she responded tightening her grip on his hand. "The girls told me that something had been said. One had hoped to have a quiet word and it would all be over and done with, but clearly…" she paused, hearing a distressed voice from the other side of the wall.

 _"Mummaaaaaa! Mummaaaaaa!"_

Chummy smiled and ducked her head, the momentary annoyance at being interrupted dissolving away just because it was Freddie. "He has perfect timing…."

"Go and get him. Bring him here" Peter replied, releasing his hand from hers as she got up again and scooped Freddie up into her arms. A few tears escaped down his cheeks as she pushed them away with her thumb as she brought him back to his Daddy. "Now, what is with these tears, handsome chap? Hey?" she whispered, pressing her lips to his ruffled blonde hair.

Peter smiled, feeling a lot better, as she walked across with Freddie laying crossways in her arms, tight against her chest as he burrowed as close to his mother as much as he could. She sat adjusting herself and the boy so she was sitting right next to Peter, barely an inch between them. Within a minute Freddie's eyes were drooping.

"I do love you" Peter began, feeling the need to tell her over and over again to make sure that she knew, seeing a final tear drip from Freddie's chin to his pyjama collar. "Both of you".

"I know" she replied smiling up at him. "We love you. Don't we Freds?" she asked her son who was now as good as asleep again and completely uninterested in anything other than the comfortable place on his mother's lap.

The boy just yawned at him. "I'll take that as a yes" Peter responded as he leant across to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Now are you going to come back to bed?" she asked. It was long past half past two now and her eyes were just as heavy as her sons. She had to be up in less than four hours and as much as she was glad they had this talk, it was the middle of the night and she needed her sleep.

Awkwardly she settled down in bed still with Freddie in her arms, gently placing him in bed between them and pulling the covers over the three of them as Peter settled on the other side of his son.

"Camilla?" Peter asked, watching her as she gazed at the boy.

"Hmmm?" she replied, raising her head after a moment, realising he was speaking to her; far to engrossed in examining Freddie's eyelashes as they fluttered in sleep against his cheeks.

"Will you forgive me?" he asked.

Now that brought her attention. "You haven't done anything for me to have to forgive you for..."

"For not just dismissing what was said as idle gossip or the wrong end of the stick" Peter offered. "I should have known better than to worry you".

"You haven't" she replied simply. "I'm glad you told me". She was if she was being honest with herself primarily that he felt he could even do that, let alone everything else. Chummy smiled at him again, seeing the reassurance in his eyes as he looked back at her over the sleeping form of their son.

"Did you find out what Valerie had?" Peter asked, having not been party to the other gossip that had been flying around and wanting now to change the subject; satisfied that that bridge had been crossed and was now firmly for her to resolve later on.

"A little girl. Suzanne Louise " she said as Peter nodded. "Home, well... back here, on Tuesday apparently. It does go some way to balancing out the number of baby boys recently!" she quipped. The last four babies had been boys and even the other girls had started to wonder when the first little girl might be born.

Peter smiled as Freddie stretched out a hand in his sleep towards him, his fingers grasping onto Peter's and keeping tight hold.

"In the new year" Chummy said suddenly seeing the wistful look on her husband's face as he saw the tiny fingers wrap around his, thumb brushing the soft skin. "You can hold me to a promise. All these little ones around here, it does make my arms ache for his brother or sister".

He looked up, having seen such a positive change in his wife these last few weeks, how much she had grown yet again in confidence and now it seemed the right time again.

"I never felt it in Poplar" she carried on. "I'd deliver a baby, perhaps see them again in the few days after, maybe in clinic, but these little ones are around me day in day out". Peter had felt that too, so involved with Freddie from day because he had no choice but to be, but that line of washing with all those nappies and tiny romper suits had brought back memories.

"You are so good with these girls". Even he had noticed the difference in the place from when the first moved in. The Lodge seemed to have some life about it again. Even just with the painting he had done and the way she had persuaded the Council to let her have money for new mattresses, little changes were adding up. When they left she would hopefully be leaving a legacy.

"I am?" she asked, not quite believing him just yet that she had some change in personality.

"Yes" he replied. "The fact that Katie and Gracie warned you says it all really".

"Yes I suppose it does" she responded, hearing a loud insistent rap on the door to the attics. "Speaking of which…. Will you put him back in his cot later? I don't know how long I might be".

"Of course" he replied, receiving a kiss as she got up and went to see who was in labour, or fighting, now.


	10. Chapter 10

"Say goodbye to Daddy..." Chummy encouraged as she and Freddie stood just inside the darkened porch of the Lodge; Peter the other side of the step fishing in his pocket for the car keys. "Say goodbye Freds…" Chummy continued planting a kiss on her son's temple and smiling at her husband. There was something she had longed for in waving goodbye to her husband and she had done it a thousand times now, but each time it was still so rather special that it gave her the shivers.

"Bye bye Dadda" Freddie repeated, waving his hand enthusiastically inches from Peter's face as they were standing that close and Peter was almost in fear of injury from nails that needed a cut.

"Bye bye Freds" he smiled in return, taking his son's hand to make sure he didn't whop him on the chin, or take an eye out, to start his day. "Look after your Mummy for me today?" Peter asked, squeezing the little boy's hand as he smiled at him from his mother's hip.

"No!" Freddie replied, nodding his head at the same time. His parents just shrugged their shoulders at each other and smiled at their son's usual decisiveness.

"Are you going to speak to you know who then?" Peter asked, keeping his voice deliberately low and unconsciously straightening his tie as he stood up on the step so he was closer to them.

"Yes" Chummy replied, resolute. "Straight after breakfast. Best to get it over and done with and all of that".

He reached up to kiss Freddie and then her; seeing four girls walk down the staircase behind them, one party of particular interest to him and Peter felt the overwhelming need to make a point.

"Good luck" Peter whispered, kissing her again as his hand slipped up to caress her cheek, lingering for as long as felt like the message got across. He was not one for caring about decorum this time as he quickly opened one eye and saw their backs turned walking towards the kitchen.

"What was that for?" she asked, unable to wipe the smile off her face, feeling Freddie rest his head on her chest and one hand take tight hold of her uniform collar realising he was cuddled between the warmth of his parents and wanting to get comfortable.

"No reason" he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I should be back around half past six, seven at the latest".

Chummy nodded as he walked away and slammed the car door shut. "I love you" she mouthed as the car engine revved and she watched him drive off as the early morning breeze ruffled her hair, seeing the postman walk up the path towards her right on time as per usual.

"Mornin' Sister. Mornin' Fred there lad" he smiled, casting about in his post bag as he heard Freddie reply _''Ello'_.

"Hello Roy" Chummy responded, smiling as she waited. "What do you have for us today?" she asked.

"Just two or three for you this morning Sister" he said, holding up the white envelopes, Freddie deciding he wanted the post instead as he took the letters from the postman and held them tight to his chest. They said their goodbyes and Chummy turned to her son.

"Now" she began, "let's see about closing the door and then I can sit in the office with you Young Sir whilst you open the post for Mumma! Shall we do that?" Her son's earnest chewing of the corner of an envelope quickly made her realise that stamps and ink were probably not so gentle on a stomach so she took the letters from him, protesting away at how rude his mother was being at removing his new toys as she closed the front door on the outside world.

Chummy had only popped her head into the dining room to pick up a cup of tea when she saw that Patsy had been marshalling the troops and they were all sitting, talking loudly as usual, at the neatly laid tables. Satisfied, with a smile from Patsy that all was in order, Chummy balanced a cup of tea in one hand, Fred on her hip and she wasn't quite sure how she managed to open the office door and put the cup down without scorching herself silly.

"Now who do we have today?" she said; Fred installed on her knee pulling apart one of the envelopes that she had now removed the letters from. "Hmmm…." Chummy considered, casting an eye over the first one. "Mr French from the Council telling me one just cannot have the money for the new curtains in the sitting room and…oh look Freds! Another one telling Mumma that they are quite happy for me to consider the services of a gardener but would I consider seeing if I could utilise the services of a charitable volunteer first!" Chummy sighed and sat back, Fred following and nestling close as he continued his early morning work of destroying the envelope.

"Mumma can't ask Daddy to do it" she continued, talking to no-one in particular who could answer, "even though the only currency Daddy accepts payment in is kisses and cups of tea and I really can't ask your namesake. The place is too bla..." She stopped herself before she swore in front of impressionable ears. "It's too big a job for him!"

The ripped envelope was slung wilfully half way across her desk, sliding off to near enough getting it in the bin that lay at the side.

"Do you know" she replied, pressing her lips to the back of his head, breathing in the smell of Johnson's that Freddie had managed to douse himself with in the bath this morning, "one wishes one could do that sometimes…Just throw these letters away and pretend they never came…."

She breathed again and heard a polite knock on the door. "Come in!" Chummy sang, sitting themselves both back up so they were respectable for visitors, attention momentarily away from her worries.

"Do you want me to take him out of your hair for a few hours?" Patsy asked, popping her head around the door. "The girls are all going to clear up after breakfast. I could do with making myself useful and you need to get on with your day".

"Patsy, old girl, you are meant to be taking a break not baby sitting for me!" Chummy smiled, even though she could see the other Nurse's arms held out for the boy and he was handed over with a rather insistent look from her friend. "Here" Chummy continued, taking a key out of the top door of her desk. "Keys for the attics. All his bits and bobs are up there so just find what you need. Most of its scattered around the sitting room!"

Patsy smiled, bouncing Fred on her hip; the boy now wearing a smile as wide as next week.

"So where shall we go Freddie? The garden?" she asked, seeing Chummy fold up her letters again out of the corner of her eye, quite fancying a walk to breath in some fresh country morning air.

"Garden ducks!" he shouted.

With clarification from his mother about the pond next door, Patsy decided all was in order and as his mother waved him off she decided to go and find Josephine and, with heavy heart, get it over and done with. She had half a mind to, if nothing came of this discussion, to have the family back in again but there was something nagging at the back of her mind as she walked and found her sitting still in the dining room that made her hesitate and think it might be best to attend to her on her own. At least for now.

The two sat opposite each other, Josephine back picking at the skin around her fingernails knowing she was making them bleed but entirely unconcerned it seemed, both at the damage she was causing herself and the fact she was sitting in front of the Sister. Chummy cleared her throat quickly as she settled into her chair.

"I need to speak to you about a little rumour that has unfortunately reached my door" Chummy began.

"I know Sister", Josephine replied, eyes still downcast. Word had somehow found its way back to her too that the Sister had found out about what she had said to the girls.

"You do? You do" Chummy continued, really not quite sure what she was hearing in the girl's voice. "I have heard a rumour that you were the source of some unsavoury talk about me and my husband. I would like to know why you took it upon yourself to say anything to anyone?"

For the first time the girl raised doleful eyes at her. "Because," she began. "Because I thought that if ….I thought that people might like me if I had some chatter for them". That and the fact that if she had something interesting to say, someone, somewhere might find her worthwhile even for a few minutes. Trouble was sometime she opened her mouth before she thought and now it seemed it might be one of those times.

"You don't need gossip, or chatter as you call it, to fit in under my roof" Chummy warned. "Did you not see my wedding ring?" Unconsciously she had rested her forearms on her desk, the gold ring glinting in the early morning sun.

"Yes Sister" Josephine replied. "But….."

"But?"

"Well" she began making no conscious decision to say it but rather the Sister needed to hear. "I didn't think he was your husband as we're not meant to marry people like that".

"People like what?" Chummy asked, curiosity peaking for a moment followed quickly by that terrible creeping feeling that she had not experienced for years as it ate away inside her with rising panic as she began to slip the pieces into place; her voice almost breaking as she asked the question.

"People of that class. People who do manual labour. Or that's what Father says and…" Josephine paused, wondering if she was saying too much but perhaps the Sister might understand if she had done what she clearly had done and married beneath herself. "Your accent Sister. You speak and behave like Father tells me I ought to and I thought you were…I thought I saw…." She trailed off, wanting to say she thought but for fear of insulting the Sister. "Then the girls said your husband was a Policeman anyway…."

The sharp intake of breath from the Sister stopped her speaking, although the words for a moment almost wouldn't come from Chummy's mouth either. So she had mistaken Peter for the 'staff' and yet more than that somehow Josephine had managed to deduce this apparent social chasm between her and her husband regardless. But class? Chummy had suspected there had to be a reason. The McKenzie's were well dressed and well spoken; they had a car, made reference to shame on the family, all of these words she had heard fall from her own mother's mouth all these years. Chummy wondered for a moment if they were really quite so far apart and almost felt the sprout of sympathy for her as it all started to add up finally. All of these secrets; kept to save face, but perhaps the most clandestine of them all - so who was the father then?

Chummy suddenly remembered she needed to mention the visit to the cellar as well, even though she would not be elaborating on the reasons Peter had been down there as this was simply none of her business. "It does not give you an excuse to create gossip or to annoy my husband by creeping around, particularly in that cellar. Apart from anything else, it is a positive mess down there and anything could have fallen on you" Chummy continued firmly, seeing the message start to hit home. "To make it abundantly clear, Peter is my husband, he is a Police Sergeant, Freddie is _ours_ and I will hear no more about it".

"Yes Sister" Josephine nodded. " Are you going to tell Alastair or Sophia?"

"No, not this time but rest assured whilst I am here to look after you Josephine" Chummy continued, "I do have it in my remit to return you straight back to your step sister or indeed your father if I see fit as I _can_ tell them that I will not accept you here if your behaviour continues". She knew she was being sharp, but the girl had to know who was in charge, even though there was obviously much more to this than met the eye.

"No!" Josephine protested limply, eyes filling with tears. "Please don't! I _can't_ go and live with either of them….!"

"Tell me why I shouldn't" the nurse challenged passing her a handkerchief from her desk, watching Josephine carefully as she summoned up the courage to speak, but no words would come. How she could see herself now...

Chummy just decided to dive in. "Is it because the father of your child someone close to you?" she began, keeping her voice gentle, knowing she had to gain her trust if she was to open up and any harsh words that needed to be said were now long gone. "Someone in your family?" It was a conclusion that was not far to jump to. Alastair? Another in law? A brother? Chummy hoped not.

Josephine sighed quickly and rather heavily. "No, Sister. No-one in my family. Really".

"So who? Does _anyone_ in your family know?" Chummy asked, pressing the point wondering if this girl was alone and crying out for attention as she seemed to be, as the 'delightful' Mr McKenzie seemed to think she was, but in every which wrong way possible.

"Alastair knows who it is. He made me tell him". Oh, yes Josephine thought to herself, he certainly made me confess!

Chummy nodded her head; just once. So he wasn't telling her the truth after all and she should have known better than to believe anything that dropped from his mouth any more. He had already shown himself up to her once, so why would a second time or a third time surprise her?

"So do you think you can tell me?" Chummy asked, being careful and calm just as Patsy had suggested she be as Josephine looked up and Chummy could see in her breathing how nervous she suddenly was.

"Yes Sister. I'd like to…."


	11. Chapter 11

**I have put this up a rating due to the implication of inappropriate and illegal behaviour with a minor. There is nothing graphic whatsoever but just in case.**

So the Sister wanted to hear? She was looking at me expectantly but I could see something in her eyes that made me think she might just be the one person, apart from him, that could help me.

Nurse Noakes seemed to be different too; she seemed abandoned once in a world she was supposed to inhabit long, far away from here. She'd married a Policeman and he loved her with all his heart so maybe she would understand why I did what I did. She'd fought for what she wanted so why couldn't I? I would tell her the whole explicit truth.

You see that day where my world crashed into itself, I saw him. Standing by the gate, pretending perhaps he was waiting for someone; _anyone_ but me but, as a shiver crept over my arms, it _was_ me he was waiting for. As I watched the leaves on the trees moving in the early morning breeze, I pressed my nose to the cool glass of the bedroom window as I looked over the vast expanse of lawns, focusing on the shoulder I could see around the gatepost. My breath obscured my vision for a moment or two until my fingertips wiped it away.

I'd woken early, the sun peeking through the organza curtains I had closed last night before I slept and I knew he would be there as always, just as we arranged. Robbie could make my heart sing more than anybody or anything I could ever tell you about. He might have been my elder and perhaps should have known better, but there was nothing more in this world for me than him and him for me.

Someone cared for me; didn't think about what I should do or what I ought to, but what I wanted to do and someone who might just accept me for me. It had taken me long enough to feel at home with the witch and being dragged to this backwater village from London. Escaping could only do me the world of good.

Breakfast, sitting on a tray on the blanket box at the end of my bed, looked awful. My stomach began to turn at the sight of toast with too much butter as it slopped over the edges and coffee that always tasted bitter to me now but I would never let on. I walked over and tipped the coffee down the sink in my bathroom, watching it swirl away down the plughole as I turned the tap; the water diluting it to its early grave. I'd been doing that for weeks and nobody had noticed and, if there was truth it in, doubted they even cared if I drank it or not.

Only he cared. Standing there trying to look unobtrusive whilst he waited for me and all it did was make me smile as he hid behind the stone gatepost, almost but not quite hiding him from my sight.

Throwing on a dress, shoes and a cardigan I took one look back at the breakfast tray and took the toast and wrapped it in a napkin. The birds would like it no doubt.

Poppa was nowhere to be seen and as the front door creaked open in front of me, the car that usually sat on the driveway was gone. Not sure whether I was interested or not in where it was, the house was really quite quiet too so walking along the path that led towards the gate, half hidden by lime trees, I knew we could have our time in peace.

"Hello" I smiled as he turned towards me, ginger hair glinting in the sun and my heart swelled as I stood with my hands clasped underneath my belly, hoping he would notice how big I seemed to be getting.

"Come on!" he replied, taking hold of my hand as a question found itself lingering on my lips.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere quiet" was his only answer and I followed, willingly, as we crept through the bank of trees that lined the walls of the garden, down towards the old gardener's cottage that stood hidden amongst them. Mr Frankham had abandoned it years ago, too frail to tend the lawns anymore and he had retired, although his old cottage lay empty.

His hand crept towards my cheek and I expected a kiss. Instead, a hairpin was pulled from where my dark hair had been scraped into a bun just half an hour earlier.

"We can't break in!" The horror of being caught housebreaking and he must have heard the fear in my voice. "Josie" he started. His voice sounded so collected and calm and, as it always did, it made me the tension in my body flow away. "The place is empty and we have been in here before if you remember…..and who found out then?" Nobody did. _Then_. Robbie didn't know of the times after that when to my horror, we had been found out.

"Yes, but those times I had the key!" I whispered, almost spat at him, as I watched him force the lock trying to keep my voice from wobbling and telling him it all. It had been my confession the last time that we met that the key had somehow disappeared from its usual place hanging in Poppa's study and each time I checked, no, it was still not there. He had obviously decided to take other measures.

Following him in carefully, I looked behind myself and saw that no-one it had seemed had seen us. We had been here before, several times in fact but those times the key had been sitting smuggled in my pocket. This place was where we…...My stomach was churning again but for every good reason possible as I closed the door behind us and he led me to the still rather immaculate sitting room. The dust began to make my nose twitch, seeing it drift through a ray of sun that sliced through the curtains.

"I do love you" I thought. "You're not like all of those".

The thought was spirited from my mind as I felt him pull me down to sit on the settee and he was kissing every inch of my face and my eyes closed with ease, drinking in the feel of his skin against mine. I know how wrong this is; my station, his age. Poppa always told me I should never mix but now I seemed deaf to his plea.

When he kissed me it was almost as though my world sprang into life. I'd like to think it was possible; that we could have something. He had a job even if it was only delivering furniture, but he could provide for me and the baby and I didn't need that house behind me to be happy.

"Will you meet me later as well?" he asked, still holding tight to my face. His brown eyes were shining and I was suffocating in all good ways possible.

"We can't!" I protested weakly. "Sophia and Alastair are coming to visit this morning and Poppa expects me to be there for mid-morning tea with them and I think they might be staying all day". I had no concept at the time of why my step sister and that husband of hers were visiting. Now as I languish telling the Sister what happened, I do and I hate them even more for it, more than I ever thought I could even with everything else that had happened these past months.

"How has he been?" The question of my father was tentative, if a little wary. I had sworn never to tell them who the father of my baby was no matter what they tried to do or say and I would plead with the Sister to keep my counsel too. All I had done was with consent and I wanted to protect my Robbie as much as I could physically do. I was as much to 'blame' as he was and I would see it no other way.

Something stopped me from telling him the whole truth though. Ever since that visit by the doctor, enforced upon me that day when I could barely lift my head from my pillows, Poppa had been more distant with me, even though it had crossed my mind that that was almost impossible! Poor Poppa thought I had eaten something that had disagreed with me but the doctor soon knew and it was almost as though Poppa's shame carried itself about my shoulders. He never expressed it in words but now my little stomach was starting to show, he could barely look me in the eye.

"He is speaking to me" I said as that just about covered it. He had never asked who my child's father was and there had been times when I wondered if he knew already; if he had seen us, if someone else had and told him. Either way though, he had otherwise been silent but that really was nothing new whatsoever when it came to me. It seemed to be the way in our family to just not express ourselves or our thoughts to each other and carry on as though nothing had ever happened. My belly was his reminder though as it grew.

"You know the moment I have enough money and a new job, we can go". That was music to my ears; running off, just to be with each other and our child. I know I am young, you might even say naïve and I knew what we did was wrong, but just craving someone who might show me some semblance of love and he did. Is that wrong? It had been my search for years and I had finally found it.

We spent an hour just about. Not in his company for a week now he told me that he might have a job on the coast and would hear in a month, perhaps a little more. We could go then and with a skip in my step, the sun shone down on me as I walked into the silent kitchen from the back of the house, intent on keeping another secret from them all. The room was spick and span as usual and Mrs Bowen must have left for the day already.

What I did not hear, however as the tap squeaked as I poured myself a glass of water was the second set of footsteps walking across the tiled floor behind me. He must have arrived while I was still in the gardener's cottage or on my long walk back to the house and I saw his arm stretched towards me taking the glass from my hand. It sloshed on to the worktop and before I could say a word his hand wrapped around my wrist, pressure, cutting the blood off and my hand was tingling.

"Hello Josephine" he said in his usual overtly nice way; the way he usually spoke when he cornered me. "How are you today? Are you going to be nice to me on this lovely sunny morning?"

The crunch underfoot of the gravel outside the house rang in my ears as my own feet followed his unwilling as I was dragged towards the garages. Tears pressed behind my eyes but I would not cry. No, if I cried it would make him think he had won. Again.

The feel of darkness overwhelmed me as the garage doors were closed and the noise of those early morning birds and the breeze was shut out. I felt jealous of those birds, bouncing on the treetops singing to their hearts happy content, being free at my sudden imprisonment feeling the protrusion of the Flying Lady on the Rolls Royce underneath my hand as he closed in on me.

"Alastair?" I asked, trying not to sound like the fifteen year old child that I was. "Won't Sophia be looking for you?" I would not tell her, I was too frightened of what he could do, but she was his wife surely? Wouldn't his wife sense there was something wrong with her husband?

"No, no" he said to me, shaking his head as though I had uttered something so incredulous and it did not bare comprehension. "You know your sister, my sweet Sophia, she does not…..attend to my needs. You might do if you sense that I might not tell your father who the child belongs to". His hand was crawling all over my stomach, grabbing at me, violating the life inside as he repeated the threat he had uttered far too many times before, knowing I was too frightened to say anything. "Don't' tell me I haven't seen you and that ginger boy _still_ creeping around. Where do you think that key for the gardeners cottage went to?" He must have seen me shake my head. "Your father is thinking of selling the gardeners cottage to me now it's lying to waste. One personally thinks it's rather a good idea. A place for your trysts and mine do you not think?"

The tingling in my wrist lessened as his grip eased, but only enough to force me to turn towards him, his body inches from mine. I knew what was about to happen. It had occurred before; him forcing me to _do things_ that I was sure were the work of the devil. He never touched me in places that Robbie did, he just expected my hands and my mouth to do his bidding in exchange.

When he pressed his lips to mine I could not describe to you the disgust that crept over my skin yet again. My Robbie, Robbie, when he did this it didn't feel like this. When his hand crept under my skirt I was frozen to the spot, my world separating, my conscious departing and I made no protest.

It was better that way and as I raised my eyes to the Sister, who had listened to me intently, I knew she had tried to understand even though she couldn't.

"Come on" she said to me. "Why don't you and I go for a proper walk?"


	12. Chapter 12

"So how old is the father?" Patsy asked as the two nurses sat in front of the fire in the sitting room.

Her conversation with Josephine as they walked the gardens, Freddie toddling in between them, had revealed all Chummy believed she needed to know. This time, of all times, she really felt she was being told the unvarnished truth and was grateful for it as, come the time that that this baby was born, there was a rather significant black hole forming. Freddie was now nuzzling close to his own mother, breathing on her neck and about to nod off after his fresh air and she now had time to think, consider and confide.

Chummy raised her head from Freddie at the question to the other nurse seated opposite her.

"Nineteen; just about" Chummy added quickly as it was only 'just'. "He delivers furniture for a living. House removals, house clearances and all that type of thing apparently". Certainly not what old Mr Baker-Clough might want for a son-in-law and how familiar this talk of aspirations was all uncomfortably becoming.

"So old enough to know better" Patsy stated, pondering the legalities in her mind she she tucked her legs underneath her in the comfortable armchair. "And he knew she was fifteen?"

"All along" Chummy nodded. Yes, he apparently did know he was breaking the law and so did she; she was quite open about it when it came to the crunch.

"So what do you think we should do?" This last day or so, becoming Chummy's confidante in what could turn out to be an almighty mess, this was now Patsy's problem too and she intended to help all she could.

"Well, we have an underage girl, pregnant and she alleges she is being abused by a family member. Albeit not a blood one, but that certainly doesn't count" Chummy surmised as the facts sat neatly together.

"Can't we report it to the Police?" Patsy considered. On the face of it, it seemed more than a simple 'option' and seemed if anything the obvious thing to do. They had a Policeman literally on their doorstep after all.

"Well", Chummy began as it had crossed her mind already, although she did question whether Josephine might co-operate. "Under this roof I am her guardian. The family have sought fit to put her in my care and well, one really can't return her to them. She said she already positively detests her father for putting her in the care of her step sister and it doesn't bare thinking about what she might do if she finds out he is the one calling the shots over the adoption"

"And she wants to keep the baby?"

"She _thinks_ she can" Chummy sighed, "but it's simply not possible. They don't know who the father is, well only the darling Mr McKenzie does and she said that he told her that if she ever says anything about him to anyone, he will have this Robbie boy put in jail". Chummy paused for a moment deciding to tell Patsy the whole gory story. "He'll say that Josephine told him that Robbie attacked her and that's how she fell. She said he has no conscience about it at all. She loves him so she won't take the risk", she concluded shrugging her shoulders.

Patsy shook her head. "I know people can get damn caught up in their own feelings but surely the father would want what's best for his own daughter's health".

How she wished that was the case. Sometimes people couldn't see beyond the end of their own reputation. "But if I say something to the Police, or even to her father, it does feel as though one is almost betraying her confidence and she will simply close down" Chummy replied. "She wants to protect this boy over everything else, even herself".

Patsy nodded in sad agreement; she could see the point completely. She knew, sometimes, secrets were best kept hidden; the consequences too enormous to ponder. "If she returns to them though" she continued, chewing over every possible scenario in her mind, "….regardless of what happens to that baby this Alastair person could go further. He'd still know who the father was and still believe he had a right to… a right to do all kinds to her let alone what she's said he's done already".

Chummy sighed heavily. "I know. I think she trusts me" Chummy continued carefully, feeling Freddie stir for a moment. "But if I betray her trust….. She told me all kinds Pats. Things you wouldn't tell your best friend, your mother, even your diary…She doesn't want to go back to the step sister or her father but where does she go? She can't stay here forever".

"The father might be the best bet at the moment, all things considered" Patsy replied. At least it was a roof over her head. She might not have the child but he was her _father_ after all.

"I know" Chummy replied. "At least he can protect her. Well, no, _that's_ wrong too" she corrected herself, suddenly realising just how fundamentally erroneous that was to even think it. "He hasn't protected her so far. Certainly hasn't given her the tools to express herself or stand up against that step brother in law or whatever he is".

"Has she said there is anywhere she can go?" Patsy asked, still trying to find a resolution. There must be one.

Chummy shook her head. "She does have maternal aunts, but from the way she was talking she has little contact with them".

"Does this Robbie know where she is?" Patsy asked, wondering, maybe, if he could be her saviour. From what she had learned in this short conversation, he did seem to care for her.

"She said she wrote to him on her last day at home and told him" Chummy replied, but as Josephine had told her she had receive no response and there certainly hadn't be any letters delivered to the Lodge so Chummy could only assume he might not be prepared to expose himself any further than he had been already. Either that or someone somewhere had gently or otherwise advised him to not.

"And she still doesn't know the child is being taken from her" Chummy stated, still steadfast in her refusal to take that particular role from the family having heard the girls fantastical dreams as she clung to hope.

Patsy shook her head in disbelief. "I know she is only fifteen but no-one should be treated like that. No matter how she ended up this way, she doesn't deserve to be excluded from possession of what her body can do". She thought for a moment. "Tell Peter or I will if you aren't comfortable with it. Off the record" Patsy decided. "He'll know what we can and can't do".

Chummy frowned, taking hold of her son's tiny hand as he grabbed at her uniform in sleep. "One knows he's my husband and I can trust him with every word that falls from my mouth but _she_ is my charge and _she_ has to come first. One has to consider her best interests".

"Exactly" Patsy replied, "and because of that, in the long run, we need to make sure she is safe and away from that monster. Baby or no baby, Robbie or no Robbie, she is a young girl at risk".

"Yes, you are perfectly right" Chummy conceded. She would have wanted to talk to Peter anyway, canvass his opinion too, but Patsy was always going to be her first port of call.

"Look, I'll have Freddie in with me tonight and you and Peter just talk it over. Take as long as you like. I'll have him all night if needs be", Patsy suggested.

"Do you mind having him?"

"Not at all" Patsy smiled. She enjoyed little Fred's company and it certainly wasn't a bind to have him in with her for one night.

"He will sleep through. He does most of the time", Chummy replied, hoping the boy would behave himself although to be fair to him he was a good little sleeper; always had been. She might feed him at the very last opportunity though and hopefully he wouldn't wake up in the night.

Some hours later, Chummy sat on the settee leaning her weight against her husband as they considered the days events and he had listened intently for some while as she unloaded hers and Patsy's concerns. His arm was slung around her shoulders and as she talked, she fiddled with the neat seam on his trousers ironing it with her nails over and over again through sheer nerves.

"So" Peter began, having heard the whole sorry story from every angle possible, and thinking it through, "you have young, underage girl, pregnant and someone who on the face of it is a respectable upstanding adult and he's already sown the seeds to you of her attention seeking from men". Peter was trying to remove emotion from the equation as he knew his wife wouldn't. His mind was set in the way of a Policeman; logical, thinking through the outcomes; wondering how his Inspector or a Judge would view it.

"He told me that she attracts attention from all the wrong types of men. Goes actively looking for it. But that's only because she's so alone. Was so alone until she met this Robbie" Chummy replied, turning up her sleeve on her cardigan which she had now taken to worrying in her turmoil.

"Well it sounds like she caught the attention of the wrong man. Him, Alastair what's-his-face" Peter replied blankly, touching his lips to her temple so lightly she barely felt it.

"I know", Chummy had almost but not quite forgotten his encounter in the cellar with her too.

"I'd wonder who a jury would believe", Peter thought out loud considering what evidence was placed before him. She was about to interrupt but he stalled her. "But regardless of that…" Peter carried on, "she is at risk. At risk from the boyfriend, at risk from this McKenzie chap. That's enough for us to have go at the pair of them".

"She's not at risk from Robbie" she responded, her voice low, really truthfully believing that.

"He is a nineteen year old interfering with a fifteen year old child. She isn't of age, nor can she legally give informed consent Camilla" he replied, taking up her hand. He was on her side, of course he was, but he had already formed the conclusion that if she said the word, he would be the one perhaps arranging the arrest or arrests as it might be. "I know you say she tells you she loves him, and him her, but the law says underneath it all he is just as bad as Alastair".

"All she wants Peter is someone to love her and care for her" she replied, sitting up to face him. "That's what the foundation of this is; someone to want her and she doesn't know how to find it. Thinks….you know….is the way".

"Camilla", he began in that soft tone of his that every single time made her heart kick start, "I know you can see a lot of yourself in her, but her situation is entirely different. If we had met when you were fifteen and I was nineteen, would you have been able to consent?"

"No" she replied, shaking her head, having to concede that. "But….."

"But?"

"If I had known you when I was fifteen, I might just have said yes to you regardless". That was truly how she felt and yes she would have been naïve, she would have been innocent, but he would have loved her and she would not have refused. _He would have loved her._

"Look" he said, actually not wanting to pursue that particular avenue any more as it made him really quite uncomfortable. "Whilst she is here, she is safe from all of them. All I'd say is to make sure if they do visit, they aren't alone with her or even refuse visits at all".

"I am allowed to do that if I think it's in the girl's best interests". It was something she hadn't really expected to invoke in all her time here – to prevent family from seeing their own flesh and blood, but he was right.

"Then do it. I doubt she'd be too concerned if she doesn't see them" Peter replied, eyebrows raising.

"One supposes one should be thankful she came to me early. That they did lie about how far she was. I can have more time with her. More time to find a solution" she mused, thoughts still coming thick and fast about the possible outcomes to this saga.

"Possibly" Peter replied.

"Thank you" she smiled, leaning across to kiss him, coursing her fingers through his short hair. "I feel better now". Chummy did feel better as thanks to Patsy and Peter she knew what to do.

"Good" Peter began, "but once you say the word…."

"I know" she replied quietly, looking down at their intertwined hands. "It is up to me, isn't it? I have to take responsibility for her".

He smiled, lips pressed tightly together and nodded, deciding to take advantage of the fact that they were Fred-less and she seemed to be on the same page. From the depths of a kiss somewhere outside he heard bottles crash and what sounded like a bin topping over.

"Did you hear that?" he said suddenly, the kiss falling away. Peter liked the countryside; quite liked the Lodge to look at but its vulnerabilities had not passed him by and had been slightly nervous staying at Nonnatus with her alone with a houseful of young girls. You never know who was creeping around in all those bushes and trees.

"It's probably that cat" Chummy replied casually, drifting her palm over his stomach, unbuttoning his cardigan as she went. "It was skulking around the bins before. The girls gave it some milk and leftovers at dinner time. It's probably after its supper the little piglet". He felt her lips touch his jaw, burrowing to his shirt collar but the noise outside was distracting.

Peter looked over her shoulder again towards the window, resisting getting up and going to look. He heard her sigh as he was _not_ paying her attention at all and she would get nowhere if he was this distracted! "If it makes you feel better, go and look".

"Sorry Camilla, you know why…" he replied, sliding off the settee towards the door.

She smiled as she decided to wait for him before he reappeared and pour him a glass of Whiskey. He returned having taken slightly longer than she had expected.

"Well?" she inquired. He looked no worse for his trip downstairs so he mustn't have had much trouble and he sat beside her taking a mouthful from the glass.

"That cat was on the step staring at me. You can say 'I told you so' now" he said, still seeing those yellow eyes as they considered him.

As much as the temptation certainly was there; she resisted.


	13. Chapter 13

Another few days slowly crept by.

Freddie had found the need for speed and decided that his most appropriate form of transport was legs that were trying to run and between them Patsy and Chummy, besides marshalling Freddie and trying to keep order they had decided, all in all, that they would gently try and encourage Josephine to speak to the Police. They had time, thankfully, and there had been no real troubles this week at all to occupy their thoughts so Josephine stood out.

They were, however, getting nowhere in their task as the girl in question had been roundly uncommunicative again. Gracie had given birth to a baby boy and now Saturday was here she had brought him back 'home' to the Lodge and Chummy had taken them both to the treatment room for a once over on their return.

"It's funny Sister" Gracie began as she sat with Chummy in treatment room, her son in her arms having passed muster with the Nurse. "I could never see his face when he was inside me, but he's just how I thought he would look!"

"Do you have any idea on a name?" the Sister asked, ready to take the girls blood pressure and seeing Gracie shake her head.

"Not really Sister. Mum wants me to call him Sidney George after her father. I don't like that. In fact, I hate it" she concluded, having been visited by her mother in Hospital and the moment she knew it was a boy, the first boy born in the family for really quite a long time, the mithering (as Gracie saw it) started. He would not be called Sidney if she could help it and it was up to her, with Nurse's help to register the baby after all. Chummy smiled. It had been easy to name Freddie and it suited him perfectly.

"What's your father's name?" Gracie asked. She had asked so many people these past few days, even the Nurses in the Maternity Home what their fathers or brothers were called as she was firmly stuck.

"Rex" Chummy replied flatly and she saw the girl's face fall. "Don't worry Gracie. One would never name my child that so I can see your point! I always liked William if we hadn't chosen Freddie. It's my father in law's name".

"William…." Gracie considered, casting her eyes over her son with all his sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. "I think it suits him" She smiled. "Thank you Sister. He's William Kenneth then. I think Kenny" she continued, referring to her fiancé, "had an uncle William or a great uncle or something so I think he'll like it too".

"Did he come to see you in Hospital?" Chummy asked, busying herself in taking Gracie's blood pressure and finding it all really quite tickety-boo.

Gracie gave her the widest grin. "He did Sister. He's spoken to the vicar about our Banns too".

"Now that is good" Chummy smiled, wrapping away the blood pressure monitor she had been using. "Now I need to start a record for the young gentleman here" she continued taking out a pen and index card and taking up a seat at the desk pressed against the wall. "William Kenneth…are you giving him Kenny's surname?" She saw Gracie nod. "William Kenneth McDonald, then. Weight today is seven pounds and one ounce and he is twenty one inches long….How are you feeding him?"

"Bottle Sister. The nurses in the Hospital said to. They tried to bind me". She sounded quite sad.

"Did they succeed?" Chummy asked putting her pen down.

"I took it off and hid it in the toilet cistern" Gracie replied, confessing to her duplicity but it was the only place she could think of putting the thing where it might not get found until she was long gone. "I wanted you to help me try and feed him myself. I knew you'd say you would". Notwithstanding that her breasts hurt like Hell now she had no idea how to start.

"I've always said it is" Chummy replied. "Would you like me to see if we can get that going?"

Gracie nodded enthusiastically. She like to try at least. "Sister can I ask a question first? Did you feed Freddie?"

"Yes" Chummy responded, turning in her seat to face the girl who was still sitting up top on the treatment table, not really bothered by the question at all. "Still do".

"You do?" Gracie replied, feeling encouraged that Sister had stuck to her guns and was still feeding her toddler. It made her think she could manage it for a few weeks at least if the Sister did for such a long time. "Does it make you love him more?" She had wondered if the baby might not want her as his mother; those times in Hospital when she couldn't seem to comfort him and the nurses had just taken him off her and she had been left with aching arms. It made her feel like she had failed him already when the ward door swung shut.

Chummy thought for a second. "No, I love him regardless and you shouldn't think if we can't do it that he's not going to love you or like you. He's your son and if we have to use bottles, then we have to use bottles. As long as he is happy, putting on weight and healthy, that's all we want. Freddie and we, we have our quiet time; it's when we both have a rest after a long day" Chummy concluded. The boy still was picking and choosing his times to feed although her body seemed to have levelled out again, she did not envy young Gracie getting started. "And you must always come to me if you have any problems".

"Yes Sister, you know I will" Gracie responded, hearing a polite knock on the door. "Sorry to disturb you ladies" Patsy began, leaning around the open door. "I wonder Sister if I could have word?"

"I am sorry to call on you unannounced Sister" the police officer began as all three stood in the office, both Nurses really quite disconcerted to find the local police officer at the door. "But I just wondered if you might be able to assist me?"

"Of course" Chummy replied, Patsy at her side as she gestured for them both to take a seat. "Please, go ahead".

"I have received a report of a burglary, or rather an attempted burglary last night next door. Mr and Mrs Patterson. I wondered if you or any of the young ladies here had seen anyone where they shouldn't be, any new faces around, heard any strange noises?" he asked, poised with pen and note pad for any recollection that might be forthcoming.

Chummy shook her head and looked across at the other nurse who was shaking her head too. "No, nobody at all" she replied. Peter was still on days and was with them all each night and if he had heard or seen anything, he would have told her. The only visitor they seemed to have was that blinking cat which now seemed to have adopted the Lodge as its home. "But I will speak to the girls and I will make sure they tell me if they find anything untoward going on".

"Thank you Sister" the police officer smiled. She knew him vaguely, having been introduced some weeks ago, but had never needed to speak to him before about affairs around the village. "One more thing and correct me if I am wrong, Sister, but I was advised a Police Officer actually lived here?"

"Yes that's correct" Chummy responded. "My husband. He's a Sergeant down in Poplar".

"I wonder if I might speak to him?" the Constable asked. "If you could ask him to just come down to see me? I would like to see if we can club together if there is someone lurking around here. Two sets of eyes are better than one". The local Police Station was in fact almost the Constable's front parlour with a desk and telephone but Chummy had no hesitation in telling him she would send Peter along tonight, even though she did wonder what he wanted from him.

"Thank you Sister" he replied. "I am most grateful".

After he had departed Patsy took up his seat. "I was thinking" she began, watching the other Nurse flick through the post that was lying on her desk, "do you want me to ask Sister Julienne if she minds me staying up here a bit longer?"

"You are meant to be having a break Pats!" Chummy replied with an incredulous laugh. "You've done nothing but babysit for me and run around doing odds and sods. One can't impinge any more…"

"Believe me" Patsy replied, deadpan as she leant her elbows on the desk. "It is a holiday compared to Poplar!"

Chummy smiled. "Well I won't turn down the assistance if it's on offer!"

"Well it is" she responded. "It's heaven to not have Nuns breathing down your neck every five minutes".

"Do you know that the first thing I noticed when I went to live with Peter" Chummy replied, sitting back in her chair, the letters still in her hands. "No curfews! No watching the clock when he took me out, finding Sister Evangelina tapping her wrist as soon as I was in the hallway. As much as one loves them all, and everyone helped so much when we came back from Sierra Leone, but I like having keys, closing doors and being out until midnight if I want to". Not that there had been much being out until midnight since Freddie arrived but the principle was the same.

Patsy smiled. She'd be thinking that herself these past weeks, considering she might explore that further when she returned and was just about to comment when she saw a frown cross Chummy's face. "What's wrong?"

Silently, Chummy passed her a letter. "Well, it might just be her father…or an aunt….or someone" Patsy stuttered seeing the addressee and the postmark, flipping the letter over to find no address written on the back. "We have to give it to her" Patsy continued, the thought having crossed her mind too that they may not want to know what was within the envelope.

"I know we do" Chummy responded. "It's her private correspondence. Opening it is an offence. Post Office Act 1953. A fifty pounds fine or six months in jail…" Patsy just raised her head and Chummy saw the look on her face. "Sorry! Hazards of helping a policeman with his inquiries!" How many hours she had spent helping him with his examinations and all kinds of facts kept popping into her head at bizarre moments and she seemed to be able to quote verbatim chunks of texts and Acts. She must find other things to occupy the deep recesses of her mind even though sometimes it did come in useful.

"Let's just give it to her", Patsy stated emphatically. "If it's important, she may come to us".

Chummy duly did so when she saw the girl on the stairs a few hours later, on her way up to the attics to start on supper for when Peter arrived home and now, with Freddie pottering about in the living room talking to himself; she had just about laid the table. She had thought for a while whether to ask about the letter, particularly as its receipt was taken with a slightly panicked look (or so she thought). So engrossed, with one eye on Freddie who had decided he would lie face down on the hearth rug for no reason whatsoever it seemed, she only just about heard Peter's feet across the tiled floor of the kitchen.

"What's that?" he asked, sliding his arms around her middle and resting his chin on her shoulder to look over at whatever she was making, pots and pans lying scattered about and what looked suspiciously like something very sweet.

"Strawberry and custard tart" she replied, breathing in the warmth of his proximity, "and it's not for now.." she added quickly.

"I sometime wonder what you think of me Camilla" he began, tightening his grip on her. "My world doesn't revolve around my stomach".

She resisted rolling her eyes. "I know it doesn't" Chummy replied, pressing her lips to his cheek as she twisted uncomfortably to kiss him. He smiled and sighed, feeling his lips touch just underneath her ear; turning her head again to nuzzle closer only for her to open her eyes and see a figure standing a few feet to their side with a funny, possibly curious, look on his face.

"Not in front of him!" she scolded, elbowing Peter to stop him kissing her as he was working his way slowly across the back of her neck.

"What?" Peter replied, looking around him, seeing their son standing grinning in the doorway. "Oh! Hello, mate!" he continued, leaving Chummy behind and going to pick up the boy, bouncing him around. "Have you been good today?"

"'es" Freddie replied, although he was never going to say otherwise. "Me 'elp",

"He's spent most of the day with his own version of 'helping' Patsy with the girls and babies" Chummy clarified, lifting a small sample of the tart onto a plate and slicing it in two again where the rest would be left for afters, seeing Peter walking back over to her side with Freddie sitting happily on his arm, eying up the food. "Do you think Mumma's going to give that to Freddie and Daddy to eat?"

"Cake!" Freddie giggled, pointing at the plate that was handed to his father with a fork for them to share. They sat at the kitchen table and tucked in.

"Are you going down to see the village constable after supper?" Chummy asked, putting the rest of the tart into the fridge for later, walking and sitting down opposite them as he nodded, a mouthful of strawberry and custard preventing a substantial response. "What do you think he wants?" she questioned. "I know he said there's been an attempted burglary but surely?..." She was curious as to why the local Constable seemed to want to speak to Peter and he would be the first to admit too that he found it altogether quite strange.

"Oh just probably needs some guidance from someone more experienced who doesn't spend their day rescuing cats from trees….or pacifying someone who got short changed in the village shop", he replied, knowing he was being cheeky, scooping a scrap of custard from Fred's chin and back into the boy's mouth.

"Peter!" she exclaimed, head flying up at the audacity of it.

"I'd go demented policing somewhere this quiet.." he carried on, him and Freddie having made short work of the provisions on their plate. It was only a couple of mouthfuls each that she had given to them but it had hit the spot.

"You will tell me what he says?" she asked.

"Of course I will" he replied. There would be no other way.


	14. Chapter 14

**Couple of strong swears in this one...warning done :)**

"This attempted burglary doesn't sound like a burglary at all" Peter offered as he found his wife and son sitting on the settee, having wandered back over the road from the other officer's house as the evening drew on thinking their discussions over in his mind. He closed the door behind him and slipped off his coat, hoping that was it for the day as he could use a good sit down.

"Oh?" Chummy replied, quite intrigued, watching him as he walked over and sat beside them both.

"No" Peter responded, shaking his head. "Constable Foster said the Patterson's apparently saw someone climbing over the fence up by the apple trees _from_ their garden into ours….."

"Our apple trees?" Chummy interrupted, hand resting gently on her sons chest as he slept in her arms feeling him breath in and out, really quite alarmed that someone could have been trying to get into the Lodge.

Peter nodded, settling back on the settee. "Apparently they saw him in their back garden trying to get over into here" he began. "Their house wasn't touched, doors not tried, no smashed windows, no fingerprints anywhere. Only thing they found was muddy boot marks on the fence their side and a trampled Rhododendron . ..Put two and two together and assumed that it was someone running away having been up to no good in their house".

"Well we've had no-one try to get in here" Chummy replied, sure she had not seen or heard anything out of the ordinary, nor as it happened any disturbance in the garden either other than that cat. "What did he look like?"

"Teenager, possibly early twenties they say, but they only saw him from the back and it was dark apparently" Peter responded, not having much to go on if he was meant to be keeping an eye out. "Bit scrawny and about six foot tall. Scaled the fence fairly easily they said".

"A bit scrawny doesn't really take me very far Peter" Chummy warned. She could count a few scrawny teenagers she had seen in the village and it could be anyone of them. "Nor you for that!"

"I know" he replied with a short laugh. "But just be aware though. If I'm not here and you're not sure, Foster knows and he's said he'll pop over once or twice a day just to make sure you are alright when I'm not here".

Chummy smiled at his thoughtfulness, sometimes couldn't get over how much he actually cared about her; not just loved her but wanted the best for her. She resisted telling him that there was absolutely no need for them to be watched over day and night and instead locked the delightful feeling in her chest away. Rather than say anything as she knew he would insist otherwise, she nodded carefully. "I will tell the girls in the morning and ask them to be vigilant". She sighed with a somewhat content smile, looking down at her son who was now completely and restfully asleep in her arms.

"Do you want me to put him to bed?" Peter asked, taking a quick glance at the clock and it was in fact long past the boy's bedtime, but he knew she had deliberately kept him up for his Daddy.

"Do you mind?" she replied. "My arm is going numb!"

With the weight now off her lap, Chummy stood up and stretched, shaking her arm to feel the cold relief of blood flow back to her fingers. Now firmly in the habit, she went to pick up the crystal cut glass from the top of the sideboard and just as she was about to pour a good measure of Whiskey in for him there was a rather urgent rapping on the door.

"Sister! Sister!" came a voice from the other side, taking her attention promptly away from what she might have hoped had been a quiet evening. That didn't sound like one of her usual calls that someone was in labour though and with furrowed brow, she opened the door to Valerie, flustered and pink around the cheeks and clearly somewhat agitated at whatever was unsettling her.

"Now what's all this bother about?" Chummy asked sternly; never one for panic or fuss or at least never one for showing it publicly to all and sundry.

"We think we saw someone trying to get into the cellar Sister!" Valerie exclaimed, grabbing hold of the Sister's wrist to pull her out of the doorway.

"What?" Chummy replied a wash of dread coursing from head to toe as she stopped herself from being dragged downstairs seeing Valerie take a hasty breath to explain even though she wanted the Sister to hurry. Now!

"Katie and I were feeding the cat at the back door and we heard noises" she began, still somewhat breathless from her run up three flights of stairs and the words were tumbling out. She might have only had little Suzanne a matter of weeks ago but Katie couldn't climb all of those stairs with the necessary haste! "We thought it might be another cat or something but I saw someone run across the grass and into those bushes by that half window. I think they fell over because I heard them say something nasty and rude to themselves" Valerie reported. She was always one of the more reliable girls and if she saw something then it must be investigated.

"Peter?!" Chummy exclaimed, taking a step back from where she had been pulled, looking to see where her husband was.

"Don't worry I heard" he said, still with Fred in his arms as he hadn't managed to get him into his pyjamas quite yet. He passed his son to his wife. "Go and get all of the girls into one room and stay with them. Make sure you are all in one place". Chummy nodded, settling Fred. "By the half window, Valerie?" Peter asked, moving back into the room for a moment, his voice fading for a second as he went to a drawer.

"Yes Sergeant" she replied, shifting out of the way to let him downstairs, calling after him as he disappeared away, Chummy noticing really rather quite randomly that he had taken a torch from the sideboard. "The one that goes into the big middle room in the cellar".

"Val, could you fetch Pat... Nurse Mount as well?" Chummy asked, Freddie still asleep and entirely undisturbed, thankfully not hearing the commotion or feeling the anxiety that was growing in his mother.

"Yes Sister!"

Walking the streets of Poplar for almost seven years now had left the Sergeant with a sixth sense and a delicate foot that would sometimes seem to others as though he could appear out of nowhere. His wife had found that out a few times to his great amusement, but this was not a time for jollity. It didn't help though that the grounds surrounding the Lodge were either grass or gravel and Peter could hear feet behind him so his ears were pricked up at the prospect of facing whoever this person was and protecting his own back.

"Sir?" came a whispered voice from behind him. "Foster, Sir" he continued, identifying himself properly and for a moment Peter breathed clearly.

Constable Foster was the village bobby he had met just an hour or so earlier and he was several paces behind Peter until the two met face to face just at the juncture of where the drive became garden; the other officer in full uniform. "The nurses gave me a ring" he continued, voice still low and seeing Peter nod, actually quite pleased for the second pair of eyes and hands. "Lead the way Sir" he finalised, gesturing forward, knowing Peter was his senior and from whom he would have to take orders.

Peter nodded, the pair creeping past the darkened dining room window towards where the half window was, and sure enough it was open; wide enough for someone to get in. He pulled the small torch from his pocket and cast it quickly over the earth, seeing the indents of footprints heading only in one direction.

Silently the two officers communicated with each other, gesturing that whoever it was clearly now in the Lodge. Thinking quickly, Peter indicated for the other officer to stay where he was and he himself ran around to the front of the house and bolted the door behind him.

"Well?" Patsy asked as she appeared around the sitting room door. He could hear his wife keeping in order behind her (or at least trying to) and he was quite glad she was occupied with the girls; the room positively alive with questions and gossip already.

"I think there's someone in the cellar. Foster from over the road is out at the back in case he tries to get out. Stay in the sitting room with the girls" he warned, pointing for her to go back from whence she came.

Patsy nodded half minded just to follow him down. Instead, once he was out of sight down the stairs, she decided to loiter by the door so she could at least hear if he needed help; not sure what she could do, but still there were a few things around here she could use as weapons if she had to. That horrific blue Chinese vase, probably a copy, was one thing for certain she was sure that the Lodge would not miss if it was found in shattered pieces. Patsy had seen the injuries though that Peter used to get when he would turn up Nonnatus with scratches, grazes and black eyes and, whilst it seemed so out of character, Chummy had mentioned often enough he could hold himself up in a fight. Chummy herself had witnessed one of them, long before they were even friends, and had been rather impressed but equally as horrified that he had to cope with such behaviour on a daily basis.

Patsy heard him creep down the stairs, silence following for a few minutes and temptation took the best of her and she kicked off her shoes for fear of making unnecessary noise and hovered just out of sight at the foot of the steps. If someone tried to get past her, she could at least obstruct their path and delay them.

Quietly, Peter felt for the door frame, not wanting to switch on more lights that were already on down there, thinking through the structure of the cellar, knowing where the room lay that housed that half window that led outside. There were no actual doors in place down there; apart from the one into the old wine bins and he knew Camilla kept that locked as it was full of medical equipment and old accounts.

"Who's there?" he asked, stern and authoritative, but it was met the only noise he could hear - his own breathing.

"Come out of there now!" he continued keeping his voice on par with how he dealt with most people every single day, sensing he was in the right place. "There are police officers either side of you so I would suggest…."

Peter saw a shadow precisely where he thought the intruder was and the next thing he felt was the wall behind him as he was charged into it, a fist making contact with his mouth. Winded for a moment until he recovered himself his hands had automatically grabbed the coat of whoever this was to try and turn him to face the wall in the struggle that ensued. There wasn't much weight on this lad, and Peter had the advantage of skill honed in the pubs of Poplar and before he knew it, Peter had recovered himself and his opponent was shoved up against the opposite wall, swearing and kicking out but the grip Peter had on him, both arms clasped behind his back, was too good.

"Get the fuck off me!" He sounded even younger than he looked.

"I will if you stop struggling!" Peter shouted back, seeing Patsy appear out of the corner of his eye. Constable Foster had been watching from outside the window too and had dropped through into the room. negotiating the small window really quite well. Quicker, he thought than running all the way back around the house when he heard the scuffle and knew his services may be required. The boy, because it would seem that he was a boy, put up some more token resistance until he knew he was outnumbered and both officers were holding him forcibly against the brick wall.

"You alright Sir?" Constable Foster asked, seeing Peter put his hand to his face, feeling blood drip down onto his chin, as he handcuffed the intruder securely.

"Had worse!" Peter smiled ruefully, his lip starting to throb now. "Come on!" he continued, shoving the intruder not so graciously up the stairs past where Patsy stood.

"Nurse, would it be possible for me to use the telephone?" Constable Foster asked as they reached the top, thinking that he should deal with the practicalities as the Sergeant's lip was swelling up rather quickly and the Nurse should be attending to him.

"Yes of course" Patsy replied, taking one look up and down at the appearance of no more than a teenager and the blood dripping from what looked suspiciously like a split lip on Peter. Constable Foster didn't look too chipper either, with dirt and chipped paint all down the back of his uniform from sliding in through the window. "Come on, we can all go into the office. Out of the way of the girls".

Unbeknownst to anyone else, Josephine had stuck her head through the sitting room door to see what was going on and as he was manhandled across the hallway, she caught the intruder's eye.

 _He had come for her._

She knew he'd try and he had and her heart skipped a mile a minute. When he explained himself to the Sister and her husband they would understand, wouldn't they? Sister would understand, wouldn't she? She'd loved someone she wasn't allowed to have, so she'd understand. Wouldn't she?


	15. Chapter 15

Two other Constables arrived swiftly and between them and Constable Foster removed the intruder from the building but not before a thorough search, the fruits of which were now resting in Chummy's hand.

"I thought you might be interested in this?" Constable Foster had said, having passed over a letter that had already been roughly ripped open. It struck her immediately, as she saw the name written across it, that the Police did not care very much for respecting privacy. "The Sergeant said she is one of your girls?" he'd continued.

If the officer was right, that sigh that emitted from her was one of frustration and resignation. "Yes, thank you Constable, she is one of mine. One of the girls living here".

He had smiled a 'goodbye' at her at some time approaching eleven o'clock and as she closed the front door behind him, resting her palm flat on the dark oak for a moment to take a breather, Chummy was _not_ looking forward to tomorrow. She made sure the door was firmly locked before she opened up the letter and standing in the hallway, considered it with heavy heart.

As much as he could Peter pushed his tongue against his bottom teeth making sure they were still all there or least still firmly in his mouth. He'd ignored the injury whilst they were dealing with the intruder but now as things had quietened down it was starting to hurt. Fred has also become somewhat curious about the fact that Daddy was bleeding and had already poked him in the mouth twice as they sat in the treatment room waiting for Camilla.

"Freddie, don't!" Peter scolded seeing the boy's finger head for his lip again. "I know you like all things gruesome but Daddy's lip is _sore_ ".

"Sore…" Freddie repeated with rather intense look on his face to match his new word.

"Yes _sore_ " Peter replied softly. "So you have to be _gentle_ " he emphasised, putting his own finger tenderly on his son's lip to demonstrate. "Like Daddy does. Gentle".

"Gen-tle…." Freddie repeated again, big blue eyes staring up at him in concentration. Peter saw the finger slowly move towards his lip again, this time touching it ever so briefly and indeed, gently just as he said.

"Good boy" Peter responded, still taking his hand away and seeing if he could find something to distract him as he kept tight hold as the chances of another delicate touch from his son were almost nil. Trouble was, as he looked from side to side around the room, all around him were pinards, bandages, needles and some scarily horrific steel objects that yes Freddie would be far more interested in, but were certainly not good for his health and wellbeing.

He found one of Fred's toys sitting on his wife's desk on top of one of her medical books and hopping down off the treatment table, he retrieved the blue stuffed dog. "How about this one then Freds' hey? Let's play with Georgie while we wait for Mumma".

Chummy heard the giggles coming from the room from half way across the hallway and for a moment, emerging from the gloom that was clouding her every step at the sound of her son's carefree joy and the deeper laughter from her husband.

"I see you two are having fun without me!" she annouced opening the door to find them sitting on the treatment table, and even despite Freddie's laughter his eyes were drooping as it was long, long past his bedtime. "Oh dear! Those eyes!" she commented, closing the door behind her before Peter could say anything more.

"Mumma…"

The voice was suddenly all together far too tired too as she picked him up, casting a glance at the real reason she was in here – to clean up and repair that lip that was looking really rather horrible. It was twice the size now, clearly cut and going purple. She felt Freddie pat the breast pocket of her uniform.

"You would want to choose now wouldn't when I have your Daddy to look after" she muttered to herself, knowing precisely what Fred wanted.

"Feed him" Peter replied, the dog now abandoned on his knee. "I need to tell you a few things anyway. Just to make you aware. _Especially_ after that letter". She assumed that he must have read it and indeed he had and inwardly digested every sorry word.

"Go on" she began, settling with Freddie in her office chair and starting to feed him wincing slightly when he suckled quickly realising that once again patting the breast pocket of Mumma's uniform produced sustenance. "Did they say what they were going to charge him with?"

"Arrested for breaking and entering, assuming nothing is missing from here and assaulting a Police Officer" Peter replied, gesturing at himself. "They'll probably charge him in the morning once they've spoken to him properly and he's had a good night in a cell". Chummy knew he was being sarcastic when he said that there would be a 'good' night to be had.

"Did I hear you say you had to go and make a Statement?" she asked.

Peter nodded, still keeping tight hold of Freddie's toy as he spoke. "I'll drive down there on the way back from shift tomorrow so I'll be late in".

"I'll remember" she replied, taking hold of Freddie's hand as he fed. "So he definitely is this Robbie?"

Peter sighed, half out of pain as he pressed his own fingertips to his mouth and half out of frustration. "Seems so. You did you read the letter too?"

"Yes" she signed, torn between guilt for doing so and what lay within it. She exhaled heavily too, having cast her eye over it in the hallway and wondering where on earth she was going to go now. "I know I have to protect her but I can't have all and sundry breaking in here. It disturbs us, the girls, all the little ones. He should have been in bed over three hours ago!" she exclaimed gesturing at Freddie. "It'll be the talk of the place for days now and they will want to know everything".

"Just don't tell them then" Peter replied bluntly, shrugging his shoulders. "He was an intruder who was caught. Nothing more than that. They don't need to know more than that".

"Yes, you're right" she responded. "I have to keep a good old lid on this. Even though most of them will see it as some kind of sweeping romantic gesture that he came up here to find here and spirit her away off into the sunset to live happily ever after!". The content of the letter was just that - what he intended to do to take her away - and Chummy could do nothing but roll her in eyes in exasperation at the prospect of just how closely she would have to keep an eye on Josephine now. "Keep it as quiet as possible" she concluded, mostly to herself.

Peter nodded, still sitting up on the treatment table towering over her. "If they had managed to get away, he could have been endangering her and the baby; more charges to add to the ones already".

Chummy felt Freddie start to relax, the hand that had been resting on her bare skin splayed open and going limp. That was always a sign he was done. "Well that was short and sweet!" she commented, covering herself up but leaving him for a minute snuggled up to her, just in case but he was well away. Carefully she got up. "Right, let's see about that lip then".

She noticed the moment she leant forward that she hadn't done up her uniform; only pulled her slip back across herself. Laying Freddie down beside him, propped up next to his Daddy on the treatment table, Peter noticed too.

"You'd best attend to the view!" he quipped vaguely gesturing at her chest. "If someone comes in here now and you turn around we might get all kinds of funny looks".

Her hand went to the poppers seeing his wide eyes. "Yes...thank you" she smiled leaning down to ever so gently kiss the undamaged part of his lip, even though he had no capability to return the affection at all. "Right, now that one is respectable again, can you turn towards the window?"

He duly did so and submitted to an examination. "It doesn't need stitches" she continued, ever so gently turning his battered lip over with her thumbs. "A good clean and some more ice should take it down". He just took her word for it and watched her as much as he was able, as, after several minutes, she gently brushed the damp cotton wool to pick up the last scrap of dried blood that had dribbled down from his lip. "No, one is going to have to speak to the family, aren't I?" she asked out of the blue. It was somewhat rhetorical but she knew she must. "They need to know about Robbie being here and I can't see the Police not speaking to them either!"

"Which one though?" Peter asked, eyes following her as he kept his head straight as he could. None of her family seemed to be a particularly great option.

"The step sister" Chummy replied emphatically. The father almost certainly wouldn't entertain the Sister and she might lose her patience with Mr McKenzie particularly as she had, for a moment, wondered whether he was the child's father after all, despite what Josephine had told her. "One thinks we need to speak woman to woman and all of that".

Peter nodded in agreement as much as she was allowing with her hands on his face. "Ollaly 'est" Peter responded as she pressed another soaked cotton wool ball to his lip obstructing him from speaking probably.

"Ollaly 'est?" she teased with raised eyebrows, half watching what she was doing and half watching Freddie who was still out cold beside him.

"'es" he replied in all seriousness, flinching as he felt her release the pressure on his lip. "Don't tease me, missus, I might have to have words with you later" he concluded, seeing her casually shrug her shoulders.

"A girl can live in hope!" she replied, dropping the last of the bloodied cotton wool into a kidney dish with a flourish and it made him smile; well as smile as much as he could without cracking the wound back open. "Can you lock up and I'll do a circuit of the place?"

"I will. Thank you" he replied, squeezing her hand.

"Pleasure" she smiled, seeing him pick Freddie up to allow her to clean up and to let the place calm after the excitement, if you could call it that, of the night.

Sister closed the door to her room gently and all she could hear was baby William, mithering to himself in the cot at the end of the other bed. She wasn't annoyed by the noise by any means but as Josephine closed her eyes, curled up in her own bed, all she could think of was _him_.

He had come for her, but she never thought he would _break in_ of all things. She had read the first missive over and over again, memorising each curved letter and the spelling mistakes he had made. The letter looked hastily written and she imagined he'd been trying to write it secretly and quickly so he could post it as soon as he heard her news.

It was tucked safe inside her pillow case now. They had to strip and make their own beds, so Sister wouldn't find it, and nor would anyone else if she had her way. He'd said that he _loved_ her and would write again about their plans. Little did she know he had brought the letter to deliver it personally to her. He'd come for her though! He had actually come to the Lodge to see her!

She was going to have to ask Sister when she could see him. How wonderful he had risked life and limb to come to collect her though. He'd take her away she was sure of it; the moment he explained to the Police what he was doing and why he was in the cellar, then it would all be alright.

"Josie?" a voice whispered as she sat up in response to her name. Opposite her, Gracie was doing exactly the same, wide awake listening to her son but still altogether far too concerned with the commotion tonight.

"Do you think he might come back?" Gracie asked, whispering quietly as she thought.

"Who?" Josie asked, not realising.

"The boy who was in here tonight" she replied, getting out of bed and creeping over so not to disturb Katie who was well and truly asleep; sitting gently on Josephine's mattress. "What he if comes back and tries to get in again, tries to steal things?"

 _The only thing he will be stealing is me._

"He might do" Josephine replied. _He probably will_. She didn't intend to be inflammatory at all or to provoke the apprehension that was clear on the other girl's face, but it could well be the truth once he had been able to get away from the Police's clutches.

"Still", Gracie considered, trying to be collected. It reminded her too much of when their own house was burgled whilst they slept upstairs. "We've got the Sergeant and I heard that Nurse Mount was going to stay a little bit longer so Sister doesn't have to run around so much for us".

"Were you worried about him?" Josephine asked curiously, seeing the fear in the eyes before her, wondering or perhaps understanding for the first time that suddenly finding this trespasser in your house could well make you think; regardless of who he might be.

"A little bit" Gracie confessed, tormenting the ties that fell from the neck of her nightdress as she sat. "I was frightened he might hurt William or the Sister or try to steal money or things like that. I can't explain why but I wanted him so far away from William".

"He wouldn't hurt William" Josephine responded, the words slipping out before she could stop them, hoping against hope that Gracie hadn't realised her error. Did she see something change on her face though; that slight realisation that she had said something untoward? Or was it her own imagination too?

"Well" Gracie replied, trying not to sound suspicious, even though she blatantly was. How would she know this person wouldn't hurt her son? "At least the Police have got him whoever he is. I hope they charge him, coming in here thinking he's allowed to scare us! I hope they do put him in jail!" she exclaimed, trying to force away a yawn. They had all had a disturbed night and she was tired.

Josephine however had no words and they retired to bed; keeping their thoughts now to themselves.


	16. Chapter 16

"What time do you want me to come and get you then?" Peter asked as they sat side by side in the car, engine rumbling away underneath them as he parked at the end of the road at her request so she was out of sight of the house. It was only so she could collect her thoughts and herself before she went to see Mrs McKenzie. Peter could see that his wife was nervous, pulling at a loose cotton on one of the buttons of her coat until, ever so unobtrusively, he rested his palm on her knee.

Coming to her senses at the sight of his hand resting quietly, Chummy glanced at her watch. "Eight o'clock?" she asked. A couple of hours should do it she would hope. "Patsy said she will have Freddie for another night. He's got a clean pair of pyjamas and Georgie so he should be alright".

He smiled, taking her hand and kissing the back of it, still unsure of his lip so it felt more like a brush. "Are you sure you don't want me to wait for you? I don't mind". He'd changed his mind about going straight to the station from work and had gone to the Lodge first. Driving her to the McKenzie's and then onto the Police Station would kill two birds.

"No" she replied, shaking her head, an errant curl falling across her forehead. In the rush of today she had not had time to whip out the curling tongs and her hair knew it. "Go the Police Station and make your Statement about the assault and then come and get me" she continued hand going to the door handle of the car. "Park the car back here and I will walk down".

It was now or never and as Chummy quickly knocked on the vast front door with its blue gloss paint, she heard the car grumble slowly away. For half a moment, she did wonder whether she should have asked Peter to stay but being frank with it, having a Police Officer with her might only serve to have the door slammed rapidly shut upon her.

She was staring at her feet when the door opened, greeted by Sophia McKenzie ushering her inside to the living room with rather a subdued greeting. The house reminded her of the flat in Knightsbridge they used to inhabit as children; shiny, neat as a pin and so desperately cold. There was literally not a scrap out of place as Chummy cast her eye over the blackened fireplace and beautifully intricate Tiffany lamps as they breathed a warming glow around the room; a stream of framed photographs lined up perfectly on the mantelpiece.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me" Chummy began as she sat on a rather plump settee, hands clasped tight on her knee unwittingly pressing a nail into her skin she was that tense yet not feeling the pain.

"It is really no problem Sister, the house is quiet tonight and I did think that we may be seeing each other again at some juncture. Alastair is in Cardiff" she added quickly, wanting the Sister to know that they were truly going to be undisturbed to which Chummy was really rather grateful. Somehow having him breathing down their necks would not have led to a conducive conversation and it would seem that his wife knew it.

Chummy nodded uncomfortably, pressing her lips together. "What does your husband do?"

Sophia thought for a moment, smiling clumsily. "Alastair, he….he has property and well, when his father died, he inherited rather a lot of money". She saw the nurse nod curtly, not really being able to explain much further as their financial affairs, well, she knew little about it all except it kept her in anything she could ever have wanted. "It will do us well for a few years yet".

"Mrs McKenzie…." Chummy began, just deciding she was going to ask and damn the consequences; particularly as she knew that nothing was adding up. Either way the family needed to know about Robbie and Josephine, together with the latter's allegations. "The reason I wanted to speak to you was because Josephine and I have talked at length, and she has said various things about your husband…."

"I imagine she has…." Sophia interrupted, although her voice was really rather quite sad in its lightness and Chummy heard a shaky breath. "I imagine they may just be true too".

Chummy did not say a word, but simply raised her eyebrows to let her carry on.

"I _know_ Josephine creates from time to time; she did when we were younger too but, if she says that Alastair has been familiar with her, then I would unfortunately be inclined to believe her". Sophia's heart was hammering behind her ribs at what she was about to reveal. It was the first time she had uttered her suspicions to anyone; hidden for so long through sheer unbridled fear of the consequences but, in all that had happened these past weeks and months with her step-sister coming into her care, she did wonder whether she had thrown Daniel to the lions in her being under her roof. "Alastair has always had….he has always had an inclination towards young girls. Not _children_ " she emphasised, knowing how even more horrific that would be, "but girls in their mid to late teens. He likes to touch them he tells me".

Sometimes she had wondered if he had tortured her deliberately with it, to gouge a reaction from her but could this man that she married have been so evil, so unpleasant as to gratify himself by persecuting his own wife? She had wondered whether he was ill of the mind or devoid of a soul when his words cascaded around her head as he breathed the words close to her, telling her precisely what he liked.

"How..." Chummy began, hesitating as her throat dried and cold ghostly hands rested about her shoulders. "How did you find out?"

Sophia smiled, making just a tiny huffing sound of derision and shook her head. "I caught him", she replied simply, for the first time actually looking Chummy in the eye. "My mother, she is religious. _Very religious._ Often she would take bible education with some of the girls from the village as her knowledge, well, I am sure she knows each gospel from front to back". Sophia let out a short laugh. "It was favours really at first for her friend's daughters and she was never paid but she would hold them in the drawing room every Wednesday afternoon. At any rate", Sophia sighed, "Alastair and I were staying with them for a few days for my stepfathers birthday and but Mother still ran her classes. There were two girls – Elizabeth and Ann-Maria. Mother adored them; treated them like her own children and well, Ann-Maria… Alastair likes girls with dark hair". Sophia herself was a natural blonde. "She was half Spanish. Very, very pretty young girl".

She took another deep breath, the memory now she was recalling it still far too vivid in her mind. "I went upstairs, intending on taking a nap - it was a tremendously hot day and I had not slept the night before - and I had to pass my step-father's study. He barely uses it any more, much prefers to work from the drawing room, but I could hear talking and I was ready to walk straight past, but then I heard someone say 'stop it'". Sophia closed her eyes; she wouldn't cry. "I walked in because she sounded so scared and he was there with his...he had his hand up..."

"What did you do?" Chummy asked, seeing the other woman's hand fly to her mouth, Chummy herself trying to reign in the anxiety in her voice as to what was being reported to her, but perhaps more so that her suspicions that all was not well were coming up trumps and it was far worse than she had ever imagined.

"Nothing" Sophia replied, sadly, dabbing away tears that had fallen with her handkerchief. "Nothing at all. I wanted to tell Mother I really did but I went and closed the door. I _should_ have done then _,_ I _should_ now but it will cause such difficulty for everyone..." The guilt over these years had been overwhelming; guilt of what she had let go and guilt of what might occur if she didn't.

"What about Ann-Maria?" Chummy replied, more concerned about another young girl who seemed to have fallen into this man's clutches than adults who ought to know better.

"She still came to the classes" Sophia responded as though it somehow made it better. "For a while. Elizabeth left shortly after too and then Mother stopped doing them. She said it was getting too much for her".

Chummy really did not know what to say and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wondering if that was the real reason but she had no evidence to doubt it otherwise. "If you want to go the Police with what you saw, and Josephine's allegations, I can arrange it". She knew she could easily at least canvass an off the record opinion from Peter but could she step over the line and report it herself if the step-sister wouldn't?

Sophia shook her head. "Mother will never forgive me. All of my stepfather's business collateral is tied up with Alastair. If my husband falls, my stepfather falls too, then my mother…" She raised her hands in the air quickly in despair. "I cannot do that to my family. The consequences are too much".

"Your husband, _the man you married_ , cannot go around abusing young girls Sophia" Chummy pressed, tired of being polite about it. "Have you thought of the consequences to Josephine or Ann-Maria or any other girl he might have interfered with?" Chummy continued. "I know you say he just.." she swallowed, wondering how to say it."He likes to touch but what about that one day when he takes that step further…? Could you live with knowing you could have prevented that?"

"I did think at one point that Alastair was the father of the child. Josephine's child" Sophia replied casually, "but when the doctor told us how many weeks she was, I realised that Alastair was in South Africa at the time, so I knew it wasn't him. He'd been gone too long".

"Do you know who the father of the child is?" Chummy knew she had asked the question before, but it required stating again.

Sophia shook her head. Chummy had believed her the first time and that was still the case this time around she felt. That was one thing that her husband had certainly decided to keep from her it seemed. It was his bargaining chip after all and the shake of her head was genuine.

"It's a young boy called Robbie. He delivers furniture", Chummy continued, seeing a moment of recognition flash across the other woman's face.

"Red hair? Almost too thin?" Sophia asked, seeing in the Nurse's eyes she was correct. "His father used to work on the Estate years ago. Just odd jobs for my step-father as and when he needed them" Sophia recalled. "It makes sense it would be him almost. They used to be friends as children but mother never liked it; associating with children of the staff and she did try to keep them apart".

"He came to the Lodge to see her" Chummy began, seeing how horrified yet somewhat resigned Sophia looked. "Unfortunately he broke in and was caught".

Sophia shook her head. "This was why my mother tried to cosset Josephine even though she was not her own child. She actively looks for difficulties. For the attention, whatever it might be and she wanted so desperately for Josephine not to be exposed to people like that. You're married aren't you Sister?" she asked suddenly on what seemed to be a rather rapid change of subject.

"Yes I am" Chummy replied, wondering where this was going.

"How long for?" Sophia asked, not stopped to allow Chummy to answer as she needed ventilate her innermost thoughts. "Alastair and I have been married for almost ten" she continued. "We have no children. He and I do not get on in the way that husband and wife should, if you understand me". Chummy nodded at the implication. "I have almost felt as though his behaviour is my fault. That I made him that way by something I did. Or did not do as his wife".

"You didn't do anything" Chummy responded firmly. "You must never think that".

"No, I know that now. Before Josephine it was never anyone in the family that he interfered with. But he has hurt my sister and she _is_ my sister. I look on her that way and I have no cause to disbelieve her when she says things about him. Knowing what I know" she tacked on quickly.

"Your husband said that she _was_ attention-seeking".

"She does, at times, try to engage with men. Particularly ones quite older than her but I think she associates that with Alastair. He is much older, he pays her enormous attention. It is almost as though it is better than no attention at all".

"You do realise that with Robbie being arrested, this cannot be left to lie?" Chummy asked, knowing one way or another the truth will out.

"I am sorry Sister. We should have kept our affairs to ourselves" Sophia replied, dragging her shoulders back in line. "It was my fear over the child that led me to think of the Lodge. I knew Josephine would be cared for and away from Alastair, the adoption would go through and she would return to my step-father's care". She took a breath. "I will speak to my step-father. I can talk to him rather than Mother. We cannot go on like this, not with the child due soon enough. The adoption itself will cause such ructions alone that I do, really Sister I do, realise that we cannot go on like this".

Chummy nodded, deciding that she would leave it in the step sister's hands for now, relatively reassured that she would do as she said.

"You will take care of Josephine for me?" Sophia asked, voice plaintive as she sat forward. "I ought to have been more of a sister to her than I have. I should have seen it coming".

"One will" Chummy replied, trying to reassure her. "Please be confident I will".

She was determined about that no end even if it may be a struggle to come.


	17. Chapter 17

"Oh how awful!" Patsy exclaimed, utterly horrified, as the two sat in her temporary bedroom having listened to Chummy recount the totality of her visit to Sophia. "That's damn terrible. The poor girl. Have you spoken to Peter about it?"

"I'm going to tonight", Chummy replied. "One couldn't really talk about it properly in the car with him and we needed to get back quick smart". She also, in an effort to try and filter through any kind of understanding in her own mind, wanted to think it over herself before she discussed it with anyone else. "And I can't leave you with the girls and my handsome monster to cope with single handed". She smiled over to her son on the other side of the room.

"They've been angels. We've been dancing for most of the evening too" Patsy responded, gesturing over to where Fred was asleep in his cot, seemingly exhausted from his efforts on the rug that was his dance floor. "Katie is getting a few twinges though so I am going to keep an eye on her for an hour or two and I might just be sending her off…"

"Well, let me take Freddie back for the night. One can't expect you to do both" Patsy smiled; thinking it probably best if she was going to be up and down with the young girl. "And you must let me know if you need me with her" Chummy added quickly, seeing her friend nod in agreement.

"Is Peter back too?" Patsy asked.

"Yes" Chummy replied. "One of the tyres on the car is looking flat, or so he says. I couldn't tell you one bally way or another but he's gone to have a look at it while there's still some daylight left".

That 'little bit of light' was not very much as the Summer evening closed in around him as Peter ventured into the garage. On his knees, not really helped by the single electric bulb that hung precariously from the ceiling, Peter flashed the torch over the wheel, seeing nothing like a nail or the like although it looked light on air. He'd take it to the garage at the Station tomorrow and see what the lads could do with it whilst he was on shift. Rather happy with the plan he stood up, brushing dust off the knees of his trousers and just out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw someone standing just in the entrance to the garage. Dismissing it as a trick of the evening light, he stood up straight and turned, intending to lock up as quick as he could and get back upstairs to talk to Camilla properly about the McKenzie's.

His eyes were not deceiving him though and just in the doorway, there she stood and Peter's heart sunk. If it had been Camilla or Patsy or even any of the other girls he might not have felt so immediately unsettled as her eyes watched him again as he straightened up. "Hello Josephine" Peter said, mind telling him to walk straight out of the garage and past her but his feet were rooted to the ground for some anonymous reason.

"Hello Sergeant" she replied politely. "I saw you and Sister come back".

Peter nodded, hoping she wasn't going to ask, or indeed knew where either he or Chummy had been. At least he could say he had gone to the Police Station and it would sound legitimately that it was about the break in, but as for his wife? It wasn't his place to say where she had gone.

"How long have you been a policeman?" Josephine asked suddenly with a rather coy look on her face.

Peter thought for a second as his feet still refused to move, resting his hand awkwardly on the passenger mirror, hearing the buzz of electricity from the rather pathetic bulb above them. "Eight years give or take".

Josephine swallowed, digesting the information. If he'd been a policeman that long, he might know the answer. "Can I ask you something else?"

Peter nodded as he watched her carefully; cautious of what she might be up to and unwittingly he took a pace back as though the wing mirror could even provide a sufficient barrier, as she stayed firmly in the corner of the garage. Too many scenarios were running through his mind already; party to all of his wife's discussions and the barest detail of her conversation with Sophia tonight.

"Have you ever caught anyone who's attacked someone before?" she asked, needing to get to her important questions at speed.

Peter smiled ironically. "Plenty of times!" Too many times if he really cared to mention; almost on a daily basis.

"How long did they go to prison for?"

"Well", Peter began. "It depends what the attack was, whether it was provoked, how bad the other person's injuries were….." He was about to carry on when she interrupted him as she seemed to be rather full of questions tonight.

"What's the longest sentence someone's got?" she asked, feeling the door jamb press into her shoulder. She had to know.

"Life" Peter replied. "That's the longest one anyone could get or the death penalty if you could call that long too. I arrested a chap who'd killed his wife. He got the death penalty". He remembered that one particularly; thankfully not being one of the officers that found the suitcase thrown into the Thames but he'd been the one who had arrested the husband.

"So if they don't have cuts or hurt someone really badly, they won't get life?" she asked, really quite disappointed in her naivety that she hadn't got cuts and bruises on her body. He'd been far too careful for that.

"No" Peter responded, "well, not really. A long sentence maybe depending on what it was but probably not spend their life in prison, no". He knew perfectly well what she was trying to ask; but if he was being truthful, he couldn't really recall anyone who had got life for a sexual assault or even rape. In fact he could barely remember one single case getting close to Trial.

 _'_ _Girls will dress provocatively these days' where the Inspector's words he had heard often enough. 'They bring these deeds upon themselves and there was no extreme physical force, therefore I do not see how any crime has been committed. Young girls should really not show themselves this way and then the eye of the man would not be turned to thoughts of immorality. She brought it on herself, Noakes. They all tend to do that. Bring it on themselves'._

Josephine nodded carefully. Peter of course knew what this was about already but if she was on the verge of saying something about Alastair, the last thing he wanted to do was push her wrongly or frighten her off. She was a child after all and there may be an outside chance of a conviction and he really didn't want to tell her how short the sentence could really be.

"They have to do something really bad to get life. But" he continued, hoping some psychology may assist, "sometimes people can do really despicable things to other people and you don't end up with cuts and bruises for it and it still hurts. Do you understand what I mean?"

She nodded carefully and Peter decided to brace himself and walk past her, at least to get out of the confines of the garage, but she moved first. "Yes I do. Thank you" she whispered and began to walk away.

Peter closed the garage doors, locking them carefully and turned to where she was lingering on the path. "It's getting cold. Are you coming back in?" he asked, genuinely concerned as she was rubbing her arms and he was feeling the chill too. Peter also wanted to get back to the relative safety of there being other people around them. An alibi if you chose to think it that way.

"Sergeant…." Josephine began, ignoring the question. "If someone ….if someone wanted to tell someone about someone hurting someone, would they have to come into the Police Station?"

"At some point, yes", Peter responded, keeping his distance from her as they stood in the middle of the driveway. "But if you know someone who did want to tell someone about someone hurting someone, you do have a policeman living in the same house as you and all you have to do is find me when you might… _if_ ….. you need me". It was cryptic, but then again so was her question.

He noticed that she was staring at the gravel now, pushing it about with her toes. "Do people ever tell you why they do a crime or why they hurt someone?"

"Sometimes" Peter considered. Some of the 'logic' behind it went entirely over his head but occasionally, and indeed in some gruesome detail, certain things had been expressed to him. "Once in a while, they try to explain or rather _justify_ what they did, yes".

She nodded quickly, taking three steps towards him and really Peter should have seen it coming as she reached down and took hold of his left hand, turning the palm up so it was facing skywards. Every so gently she ran her finger over his skin, drawing a circle with her fingertip, coming to rest on where a wedding ring might have stood if they could've afforded it. It gave him the shivers for every wrong reason that there could be and it felt as though his palm was turning to fire as she rubbed the skin gently. He could feel his face burning with embarrassment too and how alarmed he now was that she was staring up at him with wide eyes again, waiting for his response.

"No" Peter replied, firmly, taking her hand away from his, keeping hold of her wrist for a moment but not so securely that it might leave a mark. "If you have something to tell me, something that the Police may be interested in, we go inside and speak to the Sister or Nurse Mount first".

"Then I don't think I want to tell you anything!" she replied, pulling her wrist from his hand and flouncing off, sounding very much like the fifteen year old child she was.

Peter sighed loudly and just turning back to make sure he had closed the garage door properly he headed towards the house. He needed to speak to Camilla urgently.

He could hear her singing to Freddie as he slipped quickly into the bathroom, the Hindi nursery rhyme he had heard so many times before always did the trick with the sleepy boy. They'd talk when Freddie was off and he had purged the feel of Josephine's touch on his skin. It would look like he was washing his hands after the car, and they were a bit dusty anyway, so he carried on. He sunk his hands into the warm water scrubbing and feeling the sensation drift away, drawing handfuls up to his face hearing the splash as he patted his skin and tired eyes.

Chummy had heard him come in and followed him to the bathroom, finding him leaning over the sink. She slipped her arms around his waist and he shot up, not expecting her there.

"Do you know", she began, resting her cheek on his shoulder, drawing comfort and warmth from him. "It's usually you sneaking up on me making me jump to the Heavens and back".

"Is he asleep?" Peter asked, swiping water from his chin.

"Well away" Chummy replied with a peaceful smile on her face. "Patsy had him dancing to Buddy Holly apparently. Tired him out".

Peter smiled back at her, pulling a towel from beside the sink, looking at her in the bathroom mirror as he pressed the cotton to his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly. She could read him now and that frown told all the stories she needed to know.

'I don't want you to be upset'. Those were the first words that came from his mouth as they sat side by side on the settee. He was determined to tell her what happened down in the garage but it actually felt as though he was about confess guilt rather than deeply unwanted attention. Peter knew, regardless, that it would cause trouble one way or another but he told her anyway, almost seeing the words travel from his mouth to her mind, watching her chew them over and finally take his hand. The same hand.

He had described in detail what Josephine had said and done and now his wife was holding his left hand too; palm turned over and, exactly, as the girl had done, she ran her fingertips in a circle as she thought out loud.

"Do not ever think that I would be believe one word that girl says over you" she began, very steady in her view. "She is a young girl who has been forced to grow too quickly and thinks acting overtly is the only way to get attention. She has been taught that way and one really feels, despite all the trouble she makes and is making, that one should feel sympathy for her. One turns between wanting to look after her and sending her packing back to her father".

"She did want to tell me about Alastair though. I could feel it" Peter responded. "If she would just speak to you or Patsy and stop playing games".

"She doesn't know any other way Peter" Chummy replied, keeping hold of his hand, nestled in both of hers as they rested on her lap. "She's scared and until this Robbie chap came along she has been quite alone. Sophia said she regretted not being more of a sister to her all these years". In her heart of hearts, Chummy really believed that Robbie had been good for her and if only her family had been a family to her, she may not be here now.

"They have charged him" Peter started, remembering he needed to impart that particular piece of news that he had picked up at the Police Station. "Breaking and entering and assaulting a Police Officer like I said. He's going before the local beak tomorrow for his plea".

Chummy dropped her head slightly, about to pull him up for using slang, when the telephone rang. She sighed deeply and got to up to answer it, Peter listening with one ear on Freddie who he could hear talking to himself and the other on his wife's conversation.

 _"_ _Good Evening, Aston Lodge, Sister Noakes speaking….Oh! Yes, hello…...No, no, that wouldn't be a problem at all….Yes, four o'clock tomorrow afternoon is perfectly alright…Yes, of course. Goodnight"._

She put the telephone down back on its cradle and turned to Peter who was looking up expectantly. "Visitors tomorrow?" he asked, curious.

"It seems so" she replied, coming back to sit down next to him, now hearing Freddie chattering away too. "That was Sophia. She and her step father would like to come here tomorrow and talk to me about Josephine".


	18. Chapter 18

"We are so very sorry to simply land on you like this again Sister" Sophia said as Chummy quietly closed the office door behind them all, hearing the genuine regret in the other woman's voice. "I thought I had best speak to you as soon as we physically and practically could".

"Now that's quite alright" Chummy replied gesturing for Sophia and her white haired step father to sit down on the other side of her desk. It was just past four o'clock now and she had sent Erica off to make them tea after introductions had been done. "We did have quite the conversation last night".

"I know" Sophie responded meekly, looking over at her step-father as she protectively crossed her hands over each other; sitting bolt upright in the uncomfortable office chair. "That's why Pa and me wanted to speak to you as soon as we could".

Chummy nodded waiting for them to take the lead as she too settled into her chair, rather very interested as to what they had to say for themselves. Was she going to hear more untruths or something more unexpected?

"I spoke to Pa immediately after you left" Sophia started, remembering her shaking hands as she dialled the familiar number. "I thought, whilst I had the courage with Alastair being away and I could express myself freely…that I should…" She gestured awkwardly with her hands as though she was purging herself. She was about to speak again but was cut off by her step-father.

"It is something Sister that I should have addressed years ago" Mr Baker-Clough confessed, horror washing over him as he listened to his step-daughter last night, voice wobbling as she recounted her memories and the visit from Sister Noakes just a few minutes before. It only served to bring back visions from days that he had thought were long gone and certainly forgotten.

"Oh?" Chummy questioned, it dawning on her that he already seemed to know an awful lot by those words alone.

"Yes" he began, very quickly clearing his throat. "Sophia advised me that she told you about the afternoon school that my wife used to run".

"She did" Chummy replied, really rather quite impatiently but it was now becoming even clearer with every single word that this was something far more deep-seated than Josephine's passing fancy or a fable for attention.

"She also told you about the two girls my wife was teaching and what Sophia witnessed" he continued, as Chummy nodded, seeing a flash of a look between the two visitors.

"I knew about my son in law, if I can bring myself call him that, then" Mr Baker-Clough revealed. "Ann-Maria told her mother who in turn told me. As much as I did not wish to I confronted Alastair about it as one simply cannot have such episodes under one's roof. Initially he denied it. Attention seeking he said. That Ann-Maria was attention seeking. One thought one had no further grounds to approach the Police as it was only the girl's word, so I told Ann-Maria's mother that I would attend to matters privately and she withdrew her from my wife's classes by mutual agreement. I spoke to my wife about it at the time and taking all things into consideration, we took the decision to remove temptation at all. That was when the rest of the girls no longer came to us and we thought we had seen the end of his behaviour".

"You closed the school?" Chummy clarified.

"In essence, yes" he replied. "I could not take the risk of the scandal and even though no Court would be believe a thirteen year old girl over someone like him; Beatrice - my wife - and I, felt it prudent. At the time Alistair owned numerous properties and has invested locally in our village. Paid to restore the village fountain; the local public house. I am afraid I did not think I wanted to believe it of him". He shifted in his seat. "Years later I hear whispers of another girl my wife taught long before Ann-Maria and I began quietly to separate mine and my son in law's finances. Nobody knew about it and I really do not think Alastair realises to this day either. Now that Sophia has spoken to me about Josephine's allegations; all the jigsaw pieces fit too neatly together". To Chummy's genuine surprised he reached across and squeezed his step-daughter's hand. "He is a thorn in our family one has come to determine".

Chummy saw Sophia flinch at the description of her husband, even though she kept tight hold of her step-father. "Sophia is coming to live with her mother and me". He smiled genuinely for perhaps the only second time. "If Sophia wishes, in time, I will fund the matrimonial proceedings for her". He had impressed that on her last night; that she could come back to them if she chose.

"Sister, you must understand that it is not my first choice that our business be displayed to all and sundry to consider. We had hoped that Josephine would come to the Lodge, arrangements could be made over the child and she would return home", Sophia pleaded. "We could never have thought it would descend into this".

"Despite what she may say about me, Josephine is all I have left of her mother" Mr Baker-Clough continued, genuine regret in his eyes that he had not tackled this long ago. "She was always a testy child, even when her mother was alive, but I did not think that he would interfere with his own family. One had hoped that when I spoke him to about not putting himself into compromising situations might have rung home, but when Sophia told me she had witnessed the events, well, I am sorry to say I should have acted more appropriately, long, long ago. I did not want to hurt Sophia or her mother, but I think Sophia understands now why we need to address matters head on.

"I do. We do" she replied, quietly. Their own conversations that they had last night would partly remain private but Sophia had realised that she needed help and support. He had never been a bad father figure to her at all, perhaps distant at times, yes, but unlike Josephine, it would seem that Sophia could wheedle her way under that exterior every once in a while.

Chummy digested their words. "Your daughter's attendance here has caused to upset the balance of the Lodge", she began, internally quite proud of what had been achieved in these few short weeks. "One firmly believes though that despite their past misdemeanours as you may call it, each girl here deserves a chance to redeem themselves and move forward. I appreciate your honesty, both of you".

"Would you allow me to speak to Josephine in private this afternoon Sister?" He could see Chummy think for a moment. "I have to speak to her Sister. I have…..I have to speak to her and see if I can try to start building bridges".

"What about her child?" Chummy asked. She already knew of the arrangements and it was all perfectly well telling her that he wanted to 'build bridges' but the biggest part of this was still that child and she could not help thinking that they would soon be separated.

"The child will still be adopted. She is far too young to bring up a child and the purported father? Well..." he replied, with a rather huffy tone.

"I have told Pa about the father and the episode when he was found here", Sophia added quickly just in case Chummy wondered how he knew about the break in.

"You see Sister that is why he is not appropriate. The fact he broke into a houseful of women….he is not an individual I want my daughter to consort with, child or no child. It is better that he is removed from the equation. She may protest that she loves him, but no…." he concluded, waving his hand, not knowing of Peter's injury. "The sooner the Police do their work, the better it will be for all of us. She will be forced into not seeing hide nor hair of him".

Chummy thought for a moment, wondering whether Josephine would even be receptive to seeing him. "I can ask Josephine whether she will talk to you. That is all I can do". She would ask the question once and not a single time more.

"I am grateful Sister" he replied, again glancing at his step-daughter for approval for his words. "I'd…we would also like to apologise to you and your husband for our intrusion into your lives. We had hoped it might be simple".

"Pa" Sophia started. "You know life is never simple, but we would be so grateful Sister if we could speak to her, just for a while".

 _"_ _I'll only do it when your husband comes home"._

 _"_ _Sorry?"_

 _"_ _I want a Police Officer. I want to speak to you and him properly before I see_ _ **him**_ _"._

"Let me look at your lip again" Chummy suggested trying to find something to occupy her as Josephine's words spun around in her head spat out when she had approached her to speak to her step-father. Sitting up back on the treatment table in the ante room to her office, Peter quickly turned his lip out and twitched slightly hoping it hadn't cracked it open again.

"They aren't going to start a full on fist fight Camilla" Peter offered, eyes wandering around trying to watch was she was doing as he kept his head still, knowing what was going on across the corridor from them. They already knew Josephine's thoughts on the matter, expressed really rather quite eloquently and with Camilla there, his conversation had been far more enlightening than that encounter in the garage last night.

"I know" she sighed, deciding his lip did not look too bad at all. "They wouldn't demean themselves. It will be stony silences and sharp words". Peter heard the slight sadness in her voice at it all. A good few strong words often resolved a considerable amount when he was a kid but his wife had grown up with parents that steamed and simmered and, in her mother's case, sulked. "I think you'll do" she said, brushing her palms affectionately over both his cheeks.

"Good" Peter replied. "Now come and sit down" he said, patting the treatment table beside him. Chummy breathed out heavily and smiled, doing as he wished and sitting next to him her hand being taken up into his. "Did Katie go to the Hospital in the end?"

"Yes" Chummy replied. "They'll telephone me when she's had the baby".

Peter nodded just the once. "So has today been alright apart from your visitors?"

"Yes, it has" she smiled. "You?"

"Few funny looks from the locals with this" he said, gesturing at his face. "But yes, no different to usual really" he shrugged, seeing her reach over and looked at his watch. "It's only been twenty minutes Camilla".

"I know" she smiled, as he raised her hand to his lips. She missed the fact that the brush of his lips on her skin didn't really feel like a kiss with that atrocity on his face and she leant across, ever so gently catching the unmarred side of his mouth. "One just can't help wondering, thinking about what might be being said".

"I know you have to support her Camilla" Peter began, "but any issues over that child, they need to resolve themselves". She sighed heavily in response. "She unnerves me I will give you that, sneaking up and I risk being compromised. She says something out of line and it could finish my career off. Yours too". It had sadly already crossed his mind that she could easily mention their conversations or indeed protest when she had hold of his hand; say it was under his influence.

"I know" she replied. "It could all be perfectly civilised in there, it could be and now its out about the….. _interference_ ….well, if they are anything like the people I know inhabit the same kind of circles, despite what he says it could just be pushed under the carpet again. Just like everything ever is".

Peter thought for a moment, wondering if he could read into what she said and the sadness in her voice. It probably wasn't anything at all, but he couldn't help how his mind worked when it came to his wife. "Nothing ever got _brushed under the carpet_ with you, did it?"

"What?" she asked quietly, suddenly realising he was asking the self same thing of her that had happened to Josephine. "No, no", Chummy continued, shaking her head. "One knows my family were one thing, but no, nothing like that _ever_ happened to me. I said to you long ago only you and you alone. No-one else ever". She leant across this time and kissed him properly; Peter momentarily forgetting about his injury.

"Ow" he muttered, realising and pulling away from her as he saw horror fall across her face.

"Oh! I'm sorry. One forgets", she exclaimed, resting her palm on his cheek as he ducked his head.

"Worth it" he replied with a smile as she returned the grin, shaking her head in the process, looking up towards the clock this time.

"I need to find something to do" she responded, feeling agitated for reasons that were sitting or standing or arguing or silently fuming in the smaller study on the opposite side of the hallway. Peter knew she was never idle but this time he was having none of it.

"You are doing something; you are sitting down, talking to me and having a rest. That's something. No paperwork, tonight Camilla. Today has been trying for everyone. These past few weeks have and you need to just…..do nothing, let them talk or argue or whatever and we deal with the outcome" he concluded firmly.

"Thank you" she whispered, grateful but hearing the telephone go in the office. "I should…."

"Go on then if you must" he teased, knowing underneath it all she had to go and answer it. "I'll go and put the kettle on".

A few minutes later Peter reappeared, two mugs in hand to find her sitting back on the treatment table. Pleased she has taken heed of his words and she was not knee deep in medical records, he handed her a cup. "Who was on the telephone?"

"The hospital. Katie's had a little boy. She named him Peter" she added quickly, a smile playing on her lips but trying not to show it.

"Really?" he asked, quite touched, but also suspicious of the look on her face. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Peter asked, going back to sit up next to her again, balancing his own mug in his hands as he settled down.

"She likes you. Has a little fixation it seems. Can't argue with her for that" she replied lightly. He would rather it Katie than Josephine any day. She was about to lean over and kiss him again when they both heard the door to the study grind ominously open.

"I'll have to get some oil on that" Peter commented, mouth speaking before his brain could think.

Chummy just braced herself.


	19. Chapter 19

The quick knock on the door only caused the two to look at each other warily.

Chummy turned and opened it up to find the step-father looking morose and the step-daughter – Sophia – in tears that she was desperately trying to hide. "We must be on our way Sister", he said quietly, hands clasped tightly to his walking stick. "We have spoken and been entirely candid with Josephine and well, she has become rather upset". 'Upset' was perhaps an understatement but he saw that Sister realised what he was saying; hearing the sniffles from his step-daughter beside him at the words that had been exchanged.

Chummy felt Peter walk up behind her, standing close. "Where is she?" she asked, looking around and not finding the young girl anywhere in sight.

"I am afraid she ran off towards the back of the house" Mr Baker-Clough began hearing the gentle sigh from the nurse and a few moments of silence followed whilst Chummy began to think.

"Peter, would you mind seeing our visitors out?" she asked, looking behind herself to him. "I am sure we will speak soon, but you must understand that Josephine is my priority". She knew it was terse but it had to be said and the sooner she could find her the better. If her imagination was serving her rightly, finding one sister in tears, the other one must be just as, if not more, distressed.

"No Sister, we do understand. Perfectly. We'd like her to understand she is ours too but yes, you must attend to her", Mr Baker-Clough responded, nodding his head earnestly. "Our further presence will only make matters worse". His shoulders were heavy and he felt oh so tired all of a sudden, wondering if they had taken steps forward or immeasurably destroyed what little familial relationship they had.

Chummy felt the brush of Peter's hand on her as he stepped from behind her, not sure whether it was accidental or deliberate, and he gestured without a word towards the door where the visitors followed with a polite nod to the Sister, who watched them walk away.

To her right though, out of the corner of her eye, Chummy saw Patsy appear from the kitchen, Freddie in her arms, sleepily watching the visitors as they left. "I heard doors slamming and young Josephine shot past me like a damn bullet. Everything the right way?" she asked.

"No not really". Chummy's voice was subdued. "Did you see where she went?"

"Out the kitchen door without a word" Patsy replied, wondering what on earth had transpired. "Why?"

Chummy was keeping half an eye on Peter who was showing the visitors out. "Touch of an argument it seems…" she began, taking up Freddie's hand getting a sleepy smile in return although he was well established on Patsy's hip and not for moving, not even for Mumma. "That was the father".

"Oh…" Patsy replied, imagining what had gone on shortly after. "Should we go and find her?" she asked, the front door now closed and Peter walking back across the hallway taking a quick glance up the stairs to find, surprisingly, not a single person dangling over the bannister to see what they could gossip about next.

"Peter do you mind taking Freddie?" Chummy asked. "We need to go and find Josephine".

"Course not", he replied, Patsy handing him over and seeing his wife lean forward to kiss her son. "I'll get him ready for bed" he replied, seeing her sad smile and, as he trailed up the stairs, he saw them head towards the kitchen again.

"So where?" Patsy began, as they stood on the back step, scanning the darkening garden for any signs of life, listening out hearing the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze but there was not a soul to be seen.

"Usually one finds them either behind the potting shed or inside the potting shed. It's their gossiping spot they think I don't know about. She can't have got very far" Chummy replied, taking one last glance over the garden. "I'd suggest we start over there…." she concluded pointing towards the other side of the lawn.

Sure enough as the two nurses arrived at the door of the rickety wooden structure, they could hear crying and snuffling from inside. "Josephine?" Chummy whispered her ear to the door so she could hear for any movement within. There was no response though. "Josephine, can Nurse Mount and me come in and talk to you?"

A few moments passed with the two Nurses exchanging worried glances, until they heard a scrape of something across the floor that had clearly been used an obstruction, and the door opened an inch or two.

"Do you mind if we come in?" Patsy asked, going first and gently pushing the door open for them, seeing the girl sitting at the back of the shed on two upturned wooden crates. "We were worried about you".

"You're the only ones…" Josephine replied, her voice barely audible. "Do I have a choice?" she asked wearily, looking up at the two nurses who could see the tears still pouring down her cheeks, eyes swelling and red.

"Yes you do" Patsy carried on as they deliberately still stood in the doorway, waiting to be invited properly. "You can tell us to go away but I really don't think it will help".

"Alright you can" Josephine replied, even though they could both hear petulance in her voice and she studied the pair as they sat on any available surface. The Nurses had been nice to her and they did seem to be her only allies at the moment. Perhaps she would tell them what happened with _them_. "Tell us in your own time" Chummy whispered, passing her a handkerchief from her sleeve.

"I told them that I wanted them to go to the Police about Alastair" Josephine replied, recalling really how pleasantly the meeting seemed to start. "I told them I had already spoken to Sergeant Noakes and told him I wanted to have him arrested. They said they would help me, so I thought, but then they said that they had known about him for a long time". She hadn't believed them at first, but when Sophia had started crying and confessing she had even witnessed him doing these despicable things, then the rejection and horror thumped her repeatedly in the chest that, by their inaction all these years, her own family had offered her up to harm. She had wondered whether her ears had been deceiving her but it would seem they hadn't and she felt so hollow and so very, more still, alone.

"Then _he_ said _he_ had decided that the baby was being put up for adoption when I had it. They said I had no say in it and it would just be taken from me…" She wasn't crying properly now, but shaking still. "I told them I wanted this baby and I wanted Robbie but he said he'd make sure he was sent to jail. _He_ said it wasn't for me to decide what happened to me". She looked up at both Nurses, feeling anxiety rise in her throat again as they were trying not to belie their true feelings on the matter. "But you'd just never understand so I don't know why I'm telling you!"

"I think both of us know precisely what it's like to want something other people tell you you cannot have" Patsy replied quietly, seeing Chummy nod. "I think we really do".

Josephine looked up at them, entirely unsure, then she remembered what she knew about Sister Noakes already. She knew nothing of this Nurse Mount apart from that telephone call she had overheard with whoever this Delia person was and she had been forced by her own conscience, and fear of Sister carrying out her threat to send her back to her father if she heard another word of gossip out of her mouth, to bite her tongue this time.

"Sister? What will happen with Robbie?" Josephine replied. "I know the Sergeant said he'd been arrested and charged". Sergeant Noakes, when she had asked about Robbie and what might happen with Alastair too if she did say something, did not say very much more about if either might go to Trial or be found guilty.

"One isn't too sure about what happens next" Chummy replied. Peter hadn't said much more so it was the truth, although she imagined he would tell her when there was something to say.

"I am sorry" Josephine responded, dabbing her eyes. "I am sorry Robbie hit your husband. He's not like that. He's not violent". She swallowed carefully. "Can I apologise to your husband?"

"Rest assured, I'll pass it on" Chummy replied quickly, knowing how uncomfortable Peter was starting to get.

"I am sorry for everything Sister, Nurse. I really am", Josephine responded entirely genuinely. No matter how far she seemed to run, everybody and everything was catching up on her and day by day, the bigger she got, the more she felt Baby move, she realised that time was running out and she could not stop it even if she tried.

"I am sure it's quite alright and nothing that cannot be remedied as far as we are concerned" Patsy began, looking over at Chummy who was nodding, the family aside. "The past is past with whatever has been said here".

"I just want someone to love me Sister. That's all" Josephine said, looking pointedly at Chummy. "Robbie does love me. He _tells_ me he loves me and I believe him".

"I am sure he does, but they do too. Your family do" Chummy replied. "They just don't know how to show it and when they do, they get it wrong". She understood what was being said about Robbie; it was Peter and her all over again but as time had passed, with Freddie born and her mother passing away, Chummy had come to realise that perhaps she had been wrong about her mother. Well, not wrong entirely, but maybe having come to realise that one day long ago, her mother had simply lost her and didn't know how to get her back; the bridge too wide and long through years of hidden feelings and frustration at deaf ears.

"Will you promise me something Sister?" Josephine asked, folding the handkerchief carefully up.

"I can try" Chummy offered.

"Promise me that if they ask to come back and see me, you tell them I don't want them here?"

Chummy shook her head. "I can't promise that. I can't stop them coming here. I can tell them but can't stop them and you cannot stay here forever either. Regardless of what happens with Baby, you still need to go somewhere and that only safe place is with your father. You cannot go back to Sophia unless you are under your father's roof; Robbie may well be….well, where else can you go, really?"

"With Robbie" she insisted.

"Josephine…" Chummy began, deciding it was time for Josephine to face facts. "The earlier you realise it the better. Robbie is most likely going to jail and there is nothing Nurse Mount or me can do about that. You heard what Sergeant Noakes said. He won't be able to provide for you or a Baby with a criminal record".

"How long might he get?" she asked, mind working overtime. If it was only a month or two she'd be still here and they might just have a chance, even if they ran off like they had planned all along.

"Six months for the assault alone" Chummy replied. "Could be more with the fact he broke into the Lodge".

"More than six months?"

"Possible" Chummy replied as Josephine looked at both the nurses, eyes flashing between the two of them. Six months? She couldn't even imagine it would be that long!

"We're different Josephine. We have jobs and can provide for ourselves. You can't", Chummy pleaded, knowing it was a fact that, at a push, she could provide for Freddie and her if Peter wasn't there. She was just glad she didn't have to. "I know how easy it is to say yes just to keep the peace, _and_ how hard it is to say 'no' too as you would have to stand up on your own. I know how hard you have to fight to feel as though someone really cares for you".

"He said he will stop Alastair coming to the house. Said Sophia was going to go to a Solicitor so neither of us have to have any contact with him" Josephine announced.

"Well then…" Patsy began. "He is making an effort. So is your step-sister. Leaving your husband is not something you think quickly about".

"And they are trying their best…." Chummy added. "I think they realise that they have to now".

"Then why can't they see I want to keep the baby?" Josephine pleaded. "If they want me to be happy; if I can't have Robbie, I don't want to lose the only thing that reminds me of him!"

"We can't answer that for you" Patsy replied, brow furrowing further at the impossible question. "Perhaps they think that with a baby you won't be able to finish school or have a job if you want one, or even get married". She steered clear of what was probably the reason – the shame of an illegitimate child or finding as husband to take on someone else's spawn; especially the kind of husband she envisaged that Mr Baker-Clough wanted for his daughter.

"I want to marry Robbie. No-one else. I won't get married at all if I don't marry him". She was quite sure about that.

"You may think different in a few years" Chummy replied, only seeing the young girl shake her head. Once upon a time, she'd never even considered that some eejit might want to marry her. She could have all the fantasies she liked, much like this girl it seemed, of a husband to be by her side, but reality and your imagination never tended to match up. Still, though, this time it did but Chummy had no intentions of jinxing herself.

"No, Sister. I know everyone says I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm only a _child_ " she replied sarcastically. "Doesn't mean I don't want to be loved".

The two nurses looked at each other and their heads dropped, both for very different reasons.

"We know that". Patsy's voice was sympathetic and genuine. "Believe me; I think everyone wants to be loved. Your age, man, woman, it doesn't matter what, who or where you may look but when you finally find it, you are close to heaven".

"So you understand?" Josephine asked earnestly.

"I think we do", Patsy responded. "Look, you are going to be with us for a quite a while. Perhaps if try, talk to your family slowly and see how the next few weeks go. That baby isn't going anywhere without you at the moment".

"And I do think your father realises he has to take action. He may come round when it's all calmed down. Perhaps let's take one thing at a time?" Chummy asked, thinking if they could tick off trouble one step at a time it may best for all around.

Alastair, Robbie and then work on the father. "Perhaps show us and him how mature, how responsible, you can be" Chummy continued, deliberately angling towards Josephine's tendency to gossip and play games, "and we can perhaps try to see if we can build bridges? Does that sound like a good idea?"


	20. Chapter 20

Four weeks passed. Four weeks of relative peace and quiet and Chummy was certainly rather quite glad of it.

Patsy had returned to Nonnatus, although regular as clockwork she had either telephoned the Lodge or Peter had passed on news back and forth when he stayed back in Poplar, firmly getting a grilling from either his wife, a Nun or a Nurse as to what was going on with anyone and everything. It eased the slight homesickness for the place that still surprised and unnerved her at intervals when she became distracted from a particular task and thought about Poplar. Katie too was back with a rather bonny baby boy and Gracie was just about to go home.

"I just wanted to say thank you, Sister" Gracie said, standing in the middle of Chummy's office, her bag packed by her feet and young William lounging in the Sister's arms for his last cuddle before they left. "You've been so nice to me. Much nicer than most people have been" she added sadly, remembering the stares and looks from the neighbours as her belly grew. At least now she was marrying Kenny she would move to his mother's house and the neighbours were far more amiable.

"It's been my pleasure Gracie it really has. Freddie will miss you" she replied, seeing the young girls eyes fill with tears and it almost set her off too. It was hard saying goodbye she found now; before it almost never mattered where you left as you never missed the place and no-one really missed you either. "You've been so much help to me too. I don't know what I'll do without you".

"You've still got Katie!" Gracie smiled, trying to encourage the Sister as she could see that she was upset and didn't want her to be. She'd been here almost two months now and although she desperately wanted to go home, she would miss the Lodge very much. "I've got her address and she's coming to the wedding. Mum and Dad said that I've to ask you if you want to come too?"

"Then you must write to me and tell me where and when and Peter and I will be there with bells on", Chummy replied as young William shifted in her arms; Gracie watching as the Sister seemed to magically soothing away a rather disgruntled whine from the boy.

Gracie's face cracked into the most enormous smile. "Thank you Sister!" she replied, going to throw her arms around her, but realising, with a giggle, that her son was in the way.

"How about you take William for a walk around the grounds until your father gets here?" Chummy suggested, handing the wriggling, wide awake boy back to his mother. "It's a lovely day".

Now, with Gracie gone, Freddie was up to one of his usual tricks of charming the ladies as the girls and Chummy sat in the garden, taking a well-earned break from laundry and paperwork as the sun tried to force its way from behind the white clouds. As Chummy raised her eyes towards the sky, listening out for Freddie who was giggling away with Lil, she saw Katie walking across the grass, her son in her arms and taking up the spare seat beside her.

"Sister?" Katie asked feeling hesitant at asking but she needed to do it, adjusting her son's Aron cardigan as she went. "Did you mind I named him after your husband?" When she thought about she became really quite troubled that the Sister might think it too familiar although Chummy wasn't expecting the question though and it took her a moment to realise what was being said. She smiled though as she sat up slightly. "No, not at all" Chummy replied utterly genuinely; knowing her husband's feelings about it so she was confident she could speak for them both as they had talked about it long ago, Chummy actually wondering if Peter really did mind or if it felt it was over the line but her husband was rather nonchalant about the whole thing.

 _"_ _It's not as though I have a unique name, Camilla. There's thousands of Peter's in this world. Millions even"._

"It's just you've been so good to us," Katie replied trying to keep her voice down so none of the other girls would hear, "and I know Gracie said it already, but I'd like him, baby Peter, to know he should be proud of his name, have a good job and have a nice wife like you and his own children".

Chummy swallowed for a second, knowing this poor little chap would not be staying with his mother. Her parents wouldn't allow it and, having heard some of Katie's stories, doubted that they could afford it either.

"I know us girls can be gossipy and it was strange having a man in the Lodge living with us, but… I've told the social worker that I don't want his new mother to change his name. I want him to keep his name so he knows where he is from" Katie continued, perhaps blindly hoping that her wishes would be carried out.

"You are his mother Katie. No-one else", Chummy replied, even though she also very much doubted that the wish would be kept. How simple her wish was though but Baby Peter could soon be James or John or Michael or Thomas and Katie would never know unless that day might come that he may want to find her; if he ever knew who gave birth to him.

"Sister?" came a voice from behind them and they turned to see Josephine walking across the path from the house. "The telephone was ringing and I answered it as you were out here", she began. "A Mr Lichfield?"

"Oh...yes" Chummy replied, very much expecting the call as there was another girl coming next Monday and he was yet another Social Worker. "Is he still on the telephone now?" she asked going to get up.

"No Sister", Josephine responded shaking her head. "He asked if you could telephone him at four as he was going into a meeting. I wrote the number down on the paper by the telephone".

Josephine seemed to have really taken on board her words of warning and Chummy had not had to reprimand her in such a long time, having done all that had been asked of her. It had started to hit home just how hard Josephine wanted to be with Robbie and keep this child and it did seem that she was intent on showing the Sister just how well she could work. It was not really the Sister she had to convince though. The rest of the family had been nowhere to be seen, but perhaps that was currently a good thing, but there were others that needed to know how determined she was outside these four walls.

What Chummy had not imparted was that, on Friday, Robbie was to be sentenced. Peter had long reported that he had pleaded guilty to the various charges placed before him in the hope of a shorter sentence but Friday was the dreaded day. She had also heard that Alastair had been arrested, questioned and bailed. That piece of news she had felt she could impart to Josephine and one of the weights from her shoulder had fallen and, as Chummy left the girls in the garden, hoisting Freddie onto her hip, she felt satisfied that at last peace was around the house.

The day wore into evening and Chummy's eyes were slowly closing as she sat in the attic rooms, Freddie lazily feeding from her breast, hearing his snuffles. "You refused your supper young man", she began, thinking of the wasted plate apart from the odd vegetable and a few spoonfuls of mash "and I know you want me, but falling asleep at the supper table is simply not done!" She gently massaged her own skin to get the flow of milk going and his eyes shot open, hungrily feeding again. "That's much better. Now keep that up and we should be done and dusted before Daddy gets home".

Sometimes she did wonder if Freddie thought she was mad, all these not so whispered conversations she would have with him, even though day by day he was more responsive and talkative, picking up all kinds of new words. She smiled, hearing a key go in the lock. "Daddy's early" she murmured to him. "Peter, I can't get up if that's you" she continued, quite loudly making sure he could hear. It wouldn't be anyone else after all but you never knew.

"It is me" he replied, smiling as he walked over, tossing his key down onto the table and leaning down to kiss her. "Cup of tea?"

"That would be perfect" she smiled as Peter wandered off into the kitchen. "I er… " he began, out of sight unbuttoning his tunic. "I saw Constable Foster on the way in".

"Oh yes?" she responded. Just as he had been for the past four weeks Constable Foster was still making his visits to the Lodge and if she was being honest, Chummy was quite glad they had all fallen into routine. The officer probably didn't object to his cups of tea and biscuits either.

"Mmmm…." Peter replied as he reappeared at the kitchen door. "Alastair McKenzie will not face formal charges".

"What? Why?" she responded sharply, sitting up and almost suffocating Freddie who managed to unlatch himself in the process of his fright as she sat so suddenly forward. "Sorry, little one" Chummy soothed as she realised, settling him again, brushing her hand down the side of his face. "No charges?" she asked, incredulity deep within her voice. "They've not even spoken to Josephine.…"

"I know" Peter continued, walking over to her and sitting down, knowing he would have to explain what was going on as the kettle boiled in the background. "They don't think there is enough evidence. It's like I said before, no judge is going to take the word of a fifteen year old girl who's got herself into trouble already against some like him, even if his wife has walked out on him. He's got money to burn and she looks, well…" Peter hesitated, looking for the right word. "She looks _loose_ already".

Chummy sighed as it was so unfortunately true. She should have realised it was coming and ignored that optimistic little devil that sat on her shoulder. "It's on the grapevine Camilla though. It's correct but nothing official".

"I won't be saying a word to her, rest assured Peter" she smiled, seeing Peter take up Freddie's hand that had been casually resting on her bare skin. He could never get over just how beautiful they looked together. "You look tired" she noted, seeing the dark circles under his eyes as he watched the boy; the greyness evident now he had turned into the light.

"It's been a long day" he replied frowning, still not looking up.

"Tell me?" she asked, seeing the creases in his forehead deepen as the words stuck in his throat and she realised she was going to get little out of him. "Well, it will take me ten minutes to put him to bed so you can decide if you want to tell me then". With that Chummy got up, Freddie tight against her chest; now fast asleep. She never understood why it was done to internalise your feelings; doing it so much herself over all of these years but her family was going to be different and she would give him those moments.

"Just a job" he announced as she sat down next to him, his voice far too heavy for her liking. She noticed he had poured himself a glass of Whiskey and shifted over to where she had been sitting with their son.

"So tell me?" Chummy asked. He always listened to her ventilating her feelings and frustrations so now it was his turn. She took the glass out of his hand and took a sip herself, ignoring the burning feeling as it scorched her throat as she heard him sigh loudly.

"Four kids having to fend for themselves" he began, having the glass put back in his head. "Mother couldn't give a toss. We had to turn all four of them over to Dr Turner. He said the baby needed skin grafts from sitting in a soaking nappy for days on end". That was the long and short of it.

"Urine burns?" Chummy asked swallowing nervously.

Peter nodded. That's what he thought he heard Shelagh say. When he'd held that baby close to his chest, ignoring the smell of ammonia as long as he could, he had barely been able to control the simmering anger at the mother. "I nearly forgot I was in uniform" he confessed. "Those children just automatically trusted her to look after them….and she left them like that….starving, stealing milk, filthy… damp seeping through the walls but she was done up to the nines". That was what had really got him. Her hair up, bleached, make-up and painted nails, yet she couldn't even make sure her children were fed and clean.

"I just….." he continued, thinking of Freddie and these little ones all around him. "I really just wanted to…oh, I don't know! Just….there was a St Johns Ambulance girl there. Delia someone. She was _shaking_ " _._

"I know who you mean" Chummy replied flatly. "She's a friend of Patsy's. Black hair, fringe?"

"Yes that's her" he responded. "Never seen her before".

"She works at the London too. She's a nurse". Chummy smiled. "They sound like they are good chums". Peter just nodded. There had been something on her mind too today and she needed to tell someone. "The new parents are coming for baby Peter on Sunday" she said. This wouldn't be the first time in these few months at the Lodge that she had witnessed a child being handed over but it got no better as each one passed. As much as she had been told by Social Services that the child was to be 'taken' from the mother at all costs if an adoption had been arranged; Chummy was not having that at all and, if these girls were saying goodbye, they had to be given that chance for their own wellbeing. "I spoke to them about an hour ago".

"What are they like?" Peter asked, actually interested for his namesake.

"Seem nice" she replied with a shrug. "Apparently they adopted a little boy, Keith, from here three years ago they said. You're not on shift on Sunday morning are you?" she added quickly.

Peter shook his head. "That evening. Half shift until midnight. I'll drive back here instead of stay at Nonnatus though".

She nodded, about to respond with a 'good' as she knew she would need the private emotional support he could provide and pleased he was going to be there as she wasn't looking forward to Sunday at all, when there was a quiet knock on the door.

"Want me to go?" Peter asked, brushing a fingertip over the back of her hand; knowing they had both had a disturbing day it seemed.

"No…no, no" she replied, on the way up already. "I'll do it".

Chummy left him be and opened the door with a smile to find Amy-with-the-blonde-hair this time. "Sorry to disturb Sister but Josie's bin being sick, an' she's terrible hot an' she says she got a pain".

Chummy nodded, taking her keys off the sideboard. "I'll come down".


	21. Chapter 21

"My sister said they come in waves" Erica said, holding tight onto Josephine's hand as she lay in bed. "Like, building up and getting to the top of the hill and coming back down again and her tummy went hard when she was having them. Does it feel like that?"

Josephine shook her head, trying yet failing not to cry. She thought perhaps the baby was coming but this pain wasn't like Erica was describing, not one bit! "No, it's there all the time!" she cried, forcibly scrubbing her free hand over her cheek to wipe away the tears.

"Sister's on her way" Erica soothed, placing her hand on the agitated girl's forehead and finding it red hot. "She'll be down in a sec. Sister'll know what to do. She knows what to do with everything that ever happens to us!" She was trying to keep her mood light and the moment the words left her mouth the door opened, Chummy quickly casting her eye over the girl who was lying prostrate on the bed.

"Now, lets see what all the fuss is about" Chummy began, sitting on the other side of Erica who was still stroking the younger girl's hand. "Where is all this pain?" she asked, seeing Josephine place her hand just about on her right hip, sniffling away but Chummy could see she was trying to be brave about it too. "Is it moving or changing?" she asked turning around more so that she could examine her properly. "Going away and coming back?"

"No Sister" Josephine replied, shaking her head. "Will it go away soon though?"

"One is afraid one can't answer that quite yet!" Chummy replied with an apprehensive laugh. "Now have you been bleeding downstairs?" she asked, all kinds of scenarios running through her mind. Normal early stage labour, bowel obstruction, perforated intestine... _placental abruption_. She swallowed quickly and composed herself.

"No Sister. Not been bleeding at all" Josephine responded to which the Nurse breathed a discreet sigh of relief, for now at least.

"What about going to the toilet? Ones and twos" the Sister asked, moving onto other problems that may just be causing this girls pain. Good old fashioned constipation was a possibility and she was afraid poor Josephine might be in line for breaking open that bottle of cod liver oil that was sitting ominously on the shelf in the treatment room or cause her to wield a tin opener around that rather enormous tin of prunes stuffed at the back of the kitchen cabinets.

"About an hour ago and this morning" Josephine replied. "Both".

Chummy nodded carefully, ticking off at last one or two of her concerns. "Now when did the pain start?" she asked, gently pressing on Josephine's left hand side, over her belly and away from where she said the pain was. "Lunchtime Sister, but it was only a little bit and everywhere is sore anyway. I just thought it was Baby... Ow Sister! It's hurts on the right when you press on the left!"

Just what she didn't want to hear and Chummy moved her hands across to the right side now. "And this?" she asked, pressing again.

"It's better Sister" Josephine replied breathing heavily. "Goes away a little bit".

"Well then one does think you might be suffering from appendicitis and the little chap might have to come out" Chummy replied, gently rearranging Josephine's dress that had become disturbed in her brief examination. "Erica would you mind awfully if you would mind sitting with Josephine for a few moments more whilst I go upstairs?"

"Course not Sister" the other girl smiled.

"Well?" Peter asked as she came back clearly seeing she had run up the stairs to the attics and was now pulling on another pair of shoes and looking around for her coat.

"Looks like appendicitis. One might have to go to Hospital with her" she replied, her voice drifting away as she trotted into their bedroom, realising she had hung the particular coat she was after in the wardrobe not so long ago and it was quite chilly tonight.

"What about the father or sister?" he asked, wandering in after her and leaning on the door frame. "They're next of kin aren't they?"

Chummy nodded. "Getting her to Hospital is the priority though Peter". She was still spinning around trying now to locate the front door keys as she brushed past him again back into the sitting room. Again he followed and stepped in front of her to slow her down, hands holding gently onto her elbows. "Would you like _me_ to telephone the family?" Peter asked.

"Oh Peter…" she said softly, stopping immediately, for a moment able to focus on him as he blocked her path. "Do you mind?" she asked as he shook his head. "You are such an angel" she continued in a low voice, leaning across to kiss him on the cheek. "Give Freddie a kiss for me too". As she shot out of the door she just about heard him telling her to telephone him and he would come and collect her from the Hospital whenever she needed him to come.

It was the rush of a blue swing coat that caught Chummy's eye as she sat in the cold Hospital corridor as Sophia almost ran towards her, recognising her immediately patiently waiting. She had long spoken to the Doctors when they realised she was the Sister from Aston Lodge and were rather forthcoming in their urgent discussions to take Josephine immediately to Theatre and really had to explain little when Sister Noakes said she had already arranged for the family to be telephoned and they were on their way.

"Sister?" Sophia said, her father hobbling along twenty paces behind her. "Sister? How is she?"

"She is alright" Chummy replied, standing up to greet them both. "They have confirmed that it is appendicitis and taken her to theatre. They…." she paused, really wondering how the next news was going to be taken. "They are going to deliver the baby too. They believe that she has the beginnings of peritonitis..."

"Which is? Sister?" the father asked, arriving at their side, interrupting and failing to introduce himself or shake the Sister's proffered hand out of politeness if nothing else.

"Inflammation of the layers of tissue inside her abdomen. Its safer for the baby to be born" Chummy replied.

"Would the baby be alright?" Sophia asked tentatively, stealing a glance at her father as the three stood marooned in the middle of the hallway.

"I imagine so. She is coming up to 37 weeks now so she is term" Chummy smiled, trying to hide the worried frown and the yawn that was sitting at the back of her throat as the hesitantly spoke. Twenty or so passed as the three sat side by side, making painful small talk nobody daring to bring up the fact that by now the child could well have been born but it was Mr Baker-Clough who was the first to break the silence. "I simply cannot bear standing around" her father announced suddenly getting up out of the uncomfortable chair. "Sophia…you stay and wait. I will drive the Sister back to the Lodge. We do not need to keep her from her family."

"Pa are you sure?" Sophia asked, head flying up only to be dismissed with the wave of his hand.

Between Chummy and Mr Baker-Clough they walked in silence again across the front of the Hospital to where he had parked their car on the street outside. He never liked leaving the car to all and sundry outside but this time needs must. "Sister I gather you know that Robert will be sentenced on Friday" he began as they sat side by side and he turned the ignition and then paused.

"One does" she replied.

"I…. " he began, taking his hands off the steering wheel and resting them on his lap; having more than considered whether he ought to be raising this with the Sister, but he knew she was married to a Policeman so be probably had an inkling about these things _worked_ already. "I have been able to take assurances that he will receive such a sentence that will remove his presence from our lives for several months"

"Oh?" Chummy replied, nearly choking as he started the engine and drew the car away.

"Yes" he responded with a sharp nod of the head. "When she is discharged from Hospital she will come to live with me and Sophia. We will take care of her as family should". Chummy certainly agreed with him that they should support the child in what would now be her recovery from what was serious abdominal surgery and, as Chummy already knew from her own experience with Freddie, she would need support around her.

"Of course…" she replied, out of instinct if anything but other thoughts pressed themselves to her lips. "One does not believe she will accept such an arrangement".

"Oh she will Sister" he replied somewhat ominously to the Nurse's ears as they turned a corner. "I…Sophia and I have talked at length and we will accept the child into the family and Sophia will assist to bring the child up. He or she is still our blood regardless of who the father might be. I know that my daughter does fear losing the child and one intends to discuss with her that she may keep the child on condition she returns to our home".

"And Robbie?"

"She will forget him Sister" he replied. "Mark my words".

His words rankled as Chummy walked briskly upstairs to the attics. It seemed everyone was asleep and as she crept past Peter and Freddie, she found herself in the bathroom washing quickly and throwing her nightdress over her shoulders as the cool linen enveloped her body. As she walked back into the bedroom Freddie was standing up in his cot, hands holding onto the sides and she could just about see he was smiling at the fact that Momma was home at last.

"Hello handsome" she whispered going across to pick him up. "It's far too late for little bears like you to be awake..."

"Hugs" he said, pushing his arms around her neck and nuzzling close. "Mumma hugs".

"Oh so its cuddles you want" she continued, still keeping her voice quiet, tightening her arms around him and breathing in the presence of her little boy. "Mumma does love you, lots and lots".

"Love Mumma" Freddie replied, heaving a big sleepy sigh as she felt tears prick at her eyes. "Who taught you to say that?" she asked, surprised but touched beyond words. It was the first time he had said it. "As if one didn't know…" she turned seeing Peter still fast asleep, breathing steadily with his back to her and she smiled, forcing the tears away. Freddie was starting to pick up her moods; joy and upset and although her heart was leaping at his simple words, she didn't want him to see her tears. "Let's put you back to beddy-byes, shall we?" she said, unravelling his arms and placing him back down into his cot, tucking him in. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and watched as his eyes fluttered closed, pleased it seem that he had had his fill of cuddles for now.

Chummy slid into bed and willed her eyes to close, listening to her son as he settled and grabbed hold of the knitted bunny that had been his bedfellow since he was born. She too sighed, taking off her glasses and staring at the ceiling, too anxious for sleep, too agitated to allow her mind to wind down. She could do with talking to Patsy or one of the Sisters but she could hardly telephone them this time of night. If she could just _sleep,_ even for a few hours, she might feel better and could telephone Nonnatus in the morning. Yes, that's what she'd do.

That was, however, not remotely happening and as she listened to the clock tick, tick, tick, each second was moving interminably slowly. She sighed again, eyes wandering around the room as she felt Peter move, turning towards her in sleep and drifting his palm over her middle. Gently she placed her hand on his. If she breathed, relaxed, began to count sheep she might fall asleep.

"Was she alright?" he suddenly asked, voice heavy with sleep but she must have woken him up too. Chummy turned her head to find his eyes half open.

"Appendicitis and they are going to deliver the baby. It's too risky" she replied. He already knew she had as good as diagnosed the problem herself some hours ago.

"Oh…Did you see the father?" he asked.

Chummy laughed quickly, recalling the conversation in the car particularly, thinking she might just talk to Peter now and run it over with Patsy in the morning too. "Oh I certainly did. He thinks he can broker a deal with her that she keeps the baby, goes home with him and forgets Robbie".

"Is that such a bad thing ?" Peter asked, thinking it over. "She'll have her child, have the security".

"But she won't have the person she loves..." she responded, half thinking aloud.

"The child will love her and like you said, the family do seem to be trying" he replied, fighting his eyes closing again.

"Yes I know but it just felt like he was trying to enter into some kind of contract with her. A business deal . Bribery even". It was so unpleasant to sit there in the car with him. He reminded her too much of how her own parents minds worked, trampling over any views and opinions she might have and indeed stamping so far on her feelings that she dare not raise a peep in response as she knew exactly where the conversation would end up.

"She is a child still Camilla and he still has responsibility for her" Peter noted as she shook her head in disagreement. This child was now a mother after all. "Look Camilla" he began. When he normally said 'look Camilla' she knew she was going to be put in her place. He didn't do it often but it seemed that this was one of those times. "She is fifteen. To the law she's a child, whether she has her own child or not, her father has responsibility for her and Robbie is going to jail. It's no place for a child to grow up knowing their father thinks its acceptable to house break or be forever on the run".

"I know". She suddenly remembered something. "The father was very sure he was going away for a long time".

Peter looked down for a moment and scowled, in two minds whether to tell her what he had recently found out but deciding to as he wasn't intending on keeping any secrets from her at all. "Foster said that the local beak is a friend of the father's".

"Can't anything be said?" she asked knowing exactly what Peter's statement meant in the grand scheme of Robbie finding himself in jail.

"And accuse the judiciary of corruption?" Peter asked, even though he knew full well what might have gone on behind the scenes, it was a line – for his own professional prospects - that he had no intention of crossing. She sighed and shook her head.

"We can't do any more than we have Camilla" he concluded, taking up her hand. "We just can't".


	22. Chapter 22

Peter was back at Nonnatus now for another week and there had been no news as to what had happened to Robbie; even though she had asked and he genuinely didn't know as he had not run into the village constable for quite a few days as it was and he had told her explicity not to ask directly. It was only to protect him so she didn't. That was until….

"Sister!" Amy-with-the-black-hair, shouted across the garden to where Chummy was sitting on one of the benches having five minutes with Freddie on her knee. "Sister! 'ave you seen this in the paper?!" Amy asked, holding out the local newspaper towards her as she sped across the lawn, her hair flying behind her as she half ran and almost out of breath.

"Twelve months?" Chummy replied as she scanned the page that Amy had folded over and passed to her, pointing out the column on page four with its somewhat sensationalist headline about the Lodge and the trial that had followed of one Robert John Fitzpatrick, aged nineteen years and of apparently 'questionable character' and 'dubious morals' to be breaking into a house of 'vulnerable young women and new born babies' being sentenced for his assault on a respected member of the Metropolitan Police 'a Sergeant no less who happened upon the scene'.

"It's a bit much ain't it Sister?" Amy replied as she stood by. "Not like he stole anythin' or nuthin'!"

"No but he did punch a police officer…." Chummy responded as she continued to try justify to herself what she knew was going on in the background; trying to justify the extent of the sentence if that was at all possible, knowing of the undue influence that Peter had inferred and being unable to do anything about it.

"Yeah but that's part of their job ain't it Sister? My brother thumped a copper, kicked 'im in the nuts an' all and only got four months" Amy replied casually as she rocked slightly on her heels whilst Chummy cleared her throat and let Freddie slide off her knee. "Yes well, one does suppose we don't know what was going on in the Judge's mind when he sentenced him or indeed how Robbie presented himself at the time" she replied. Yes of course it was her darling Peter that had come off worse with his split lip and yes, he was in a position of authority and should be respected, and it certainly wasn't the first time she had to patch him up but was twelve months really a justifiable sentence for that? "Can I keep this?" she asked Amy quickly.

"Course Sister" Amy replied with a smile. "I've read the whole thing from front to back twice through already".

Chummy watched her walk away as she stood up, her boy crawling around on the grass beside her, pulling up chunks of greenery that were heading towards his mouth. She bent down quickly and, as she picked him up, brushed the grass from his hands. Who knows what had been wandering and doing what kind of business all over their lawn?

"Only sheep eat grass and you aren't a little baa-lamb are you?!" she smiled, tickling his tummy as he giggled away at her. "Come on" she carried on bouncing him on her hip as he made rather impressive 'sheep' noises in her ear. "Mumma has work to do and really must get on. Patsy will be here soon and we need to be respectable for our visitors don't we?"

She had asked Patsy, if at all possible, to pop up when she could out of just the need to have a conversation with another woman. Talking over the telephone didn't really pass muster and precisely upon half past two, the pair were sitting in the office; Freddie sitting with his various stuffed creatures in his playpen and talking away at them in the background between gulps from his cup.

"Oh that is perfect" Patsy smiled as she was passed the cup of tea. "Sometimes I wish Peter could have just driven me up here if he wasn't sleeping the day away back at Nonnatus! That bus is terrible juddering along all the country roads!"

Chummy smiled quickly and sat down opposite her. It actually felt rather unnerving that Patsy knew that her husband was at Nonnatus, most probably asleep waiting to wake at tea time to go shift sleeping in a bedroom - and a bed - she had never been in. She knew it was for the best and there had not been a night go by that they did not speak on the telephone but she was still not too keen on it. Still though she decided for now to dismiss the thought from her mind as it would only serve to distract her from the task in hand.

"All of this all sounds very intriguing….." Patsy continued. The gossip about the Lodge had made its way back to Poplar through a rather circuitous route. Not through her doing at all but it was one of those 'I know someone who knows someone who heard' moments, clarified by Peter when the rather outrageous whispers had reached his ears and, on questioning from Sister Julienne, he had recited the true factual saga of it all from start to finish. "So he's been given twelve months inside for it?"

Her friend nodded. "Peter said that…well…..there were things afoot behind the scenes. Between the father and the Judge and the intention it seems was to give him as long as they could justify..."

"Oh…" Patsy responded, the dread in her voice very clear. She and Chummy were almost one and the same, certainly of similar class and Patsy knew full well what could go on when doors were closed between certain members of that particularly society if someone wanted something doing at all cost. She would not doubt that money had changed hands along the line somewhere and it was more than a closed shop.

"Yes...oh…" Chummy replied knowingly, breathing deeply through her nose. "All that girl wants is someone to love her. Robbie did that and now to think…." she shrugged. "All because she isn't doing what her father had in his mind for her and now she is trapped and losing at every turn. Like she hasn't got her own thoughts and feelings..."

"She should be out of hospital shortly shouldn't she?" Patsy asked, thinking it must be well over a week since the emergency had taken place and she saw Chummy nod as she took a sip of her milky tea."To where though?" Patsy asked, wondering if she would be coming back to the Lodge to recover.

"The father's house one imagines" Chummy replied, tipping her head to one side and back. "He has terminated her placement here. She has nowhere else to go except there". That telegram was still sitting on her desk. Short, terse and to the point and did she really, truthfully, think it would be very different now that Josephine had actually left the Lodge and the child was here? The adoption would just take place earlier and there would be less and less time for reason or persuade and the chance had very possibly slipped through Josephine's fingers.

"He has?" Patsy responded, eyes raising. "So you haven't been able to speak to her?"

Chummy shook her head. "I did speak to someone I knew at the Hospital though". She knew that perhaps she shouldn't but she did have a professional interest so her inquiry could be passed off to be legitimate. "Off the record, she had a boy, 6lbs and a half ounce, and they were both perfectly well and recovering. That's all one knows". Or rather that was all Leslie would tell her for fear of being reprimanded or losing his job.

Patsy frowned. "It sounded as though you were finally getting through to her. And the family for a while".

"I know" Chummy replied. "And one can't help but wonder if it's all being undone now. The adoption will go ahead, the father is in jail….its just one almighty mess. She will be scarred for the rest of her life poor girl just because she loved someone she wasn't meant to". Patsy nodded carefully. How very true that was. She very much doubted she herself might end up in jail but it all had to be done so very secretly that she was ever so cautious of her words now, or mention of Delia, around everyone when it came to it.

"In suppose," Patsy began, "that the father knows what the boy got now….Given him the upper hand that he's in Pentonville or wherever..."

"He probably knew what the sentence was before the trial even started!" Chummy exclaimed, interrupting her. "I just wish I could have done more for her".

"You did an awful lot you know" Patsy responded sympathetically. "She was coming round. You said yourself how her behaviour changed. Even Peter said the other day he felt better about talking to her. That she'd stopped being so forward with him".

"Did he?" Chummy asked. He hadn't said that to her. "But I won't be able to stop her running away will I if she won't go through with the adoption?" Chummy asked, not putting that past her either. "Or trying to get in touch with him. Sneaking around and putting herself in danger again if she can't have the resolution she wants or if her father is so unreasonable towards her?" So many years ago it had crossed her mind to just run away and when it came to it, albeit years later, she had in as many words. Run to Nonnatus, to Poplar and only stayed for that and Peter.

"No, you won't be able to stop her running away. But you can't do everything for everyone Chummy" her friend replied, catching her eye and holding her gaze to make sure that the message was getting through. They all tried their best for each and every patient they had, but sometimes you had to walk away and perhaps this was one of those moments. "Her father has to take some responsibility for her, and she of herself too. They have to start talking to each other as well". Patsy insisted. "We can all see ourselves in other people at times. Sometimes it's as though we try to alter time so far in the past by our actions now to try and make them better...I do see why you are saying it if I am being honest, believe me I really do".

Chummy knew she had come rather close to stepping over professional boundaries and she knew she shouldn't get involved like this but it was almost as though, in another time, this girl could well have been a mirror of a younger Camilla Browne. Squashed in spirit as her choices were taken from her by people whose ears were closed to any reason or thought except their own, at least not outwardly considering the consequences of their actions. She also knew she had to step away now. "That's what Peter says" Chummy responded smiling quietly to herself. "I can't do everything for everyone and right the world ten times over while I do it!"

"Well maybe it's time to believe him then".

Patsy's words swum around her head as she tucked Freddie in that evening. "Am I like that handsome?" He couldn't answer her of course as he watched her with sleepy blue eyes as his Mummy seemed to be in a rather introspective mood tonight. "All Mumma wants is for her to be cared for and listened to. Is that too much to ask? Someone to make her feel secure without any bargains. That's not too bad is it?"

She sighed loudly, leaning on the bar of the cot, brushing her thumb over his knuckles, soothing him as he smiled up at her; the need still there to right past wrongs. "You already know your Mumma is barking mad having these conversations with you, but she doesn't understand it herself sometimes. Rambling on like a batty old moo, wondering why she feels like this, why she wants this stranger to be happy" she pleaded as she smiled indulgently at the boy. "All Mumma ever wanted was someone to make her feel like she was loved and someone cared about her. But it's all so complicated isn't it handsome? She's only a babba too. At least Mumma could just go off when she wanted to…..The Police wouldn't come a-knocking for your Mumma would they?"

Chummy laughed to herself for a second, realising her inadvertent joke. "Except they did didn't they? Because your Daddy arrived didn't he and everything felt alright for the first time in such a long time didn't it?"

She took a breath again.

"One supposes it's nothing really to do with me is it? Mumma is just here to look after these girls and send them on their merry way. Touch their lives once and that's that". She sighed again, resting his hand down on his tummy. "I can take you away from here and see you become all very big and strong and you and I are going to know each other forever..."

Perhaps she had never realised it but it would have truly broken her heart to have to give him up, just as Josephine was doing with her little boy. No, not what _Josephine_ was doing. She had stood there on Sunday last, with Katie as she said goodbye to her son, trying not to cry and to be professional as she should but, as she snuggled up to Peter later than evening, it struck her just how much it would destroy her to make the decision as Katie did so young and for the first time in a while she really, truly cried for far too long.

"Different place different time one supposes" she sighed as she stood up, stretching the muscles in her back out. He was still trying to keep awake to listen to her but his eyes were closing as each second passed.

"Sometimes you can't help all every person that needs you even if you want to". It truly hurt her to say it but it seemed as though this was one of those times. "Perhaps that's what I need to teach you, hey?"

Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on the attic door and leaving her son Chummy went to answer it, finding Patsy standing at the door. "Sorry to disturb as I know its Freddie's bed time but I was wandering past the office and the telephone rang. It's for you".

"Oh?" Chummy replied, not expecting any calls and she rather thought Patsy might have said first time if it was any of the girls or Peter; although he did have the other telephone number up in their attics that she had specifically asked be installed. "Who is it?"

"Josephine".


	23. Chapter 23

'The lady in the next bed to me had a newspaper. I read about Robbie"' were the first words that fell from the young girl's mouth after they had exchanged a friendly greeting; Chummy making sure the office door was firmly locked for fear of little ears. She had truly had enough of gossip. "She let me read it after her husband brought it in" Josephine carried on. "She said she thought it was terrible and he must be a despicable person to break into a house with young girls in and frighten everyone".

Chummy bit her lip, trying to keep her own opinions to herself for as long as possible, as she settled into her office chair. "I read it myself too" she offered neutrally, not particularly wanting to say it was one of the other girls that pointed it out to her. The last thing this girl needed was knowing it was spreading like wildfire already.

"One does suppose he shouldn't have broken in" Josephine considered carefully as she pressed the telephone to her ear; frankly exhausted from the short walk from the ward to the corridor telephone. "That was wrong".

"It was" Chummy replied succinctly.

"And he shouldn't have hit your husband" Josephine continued, clear to Chummy that she was thinking her words through with some caution; wondering just how much ruminating this young girl had been doing these past hours and days. "Yes. That was wrong too", she heard quietly. All Chummy could do was murmur along in agreement.

To the nurse's experienced ears, Josephine sounded tired but that was not at all to be expected otherwise but whether she was imagining it or not, she also sounded rather resigned. "Poppa is coming to collect me the day after tomorrow when I've been discharged" she continued, almost whispering as a nurse walked past, not wanting anyone to hear her conversation. She had already been selective in why she told the Matron she wanted to get out of bed to the telephone; telling her she wanted to speak to a friend.

Chummy swallowed hoping the girl would not hear the apprehension in her voice. "To collect _you_?" she asked emphasising the last word, wondering if the baby's fate had long been decided and even if he was even still at the Hospital. She'd known babies that were sometimes removed – snatched – from their mothers within hours and, the way that matters had unfolded recently, she had not been completely sure that it was not going to be the case here.

"No" Josephine replied. "To collect me and Christopher"

"Is that what you've called him?" Chummy asked, breathing a sigh of relief at the tension building up inside her as she waited for news that she was most surprised to hear and wondering what had changed.

"Yes Sister. Christopher John Robert…" Josephine answered proudly. "Poppa insists he takes our surname".

"Does he now?" Chummy replied suspiciously as she sat back in her chair. She had been party to more than perhaps she might have expected in conversation with the father but it seemed that he had perhaps had a change of heart although she was still apprehensive to say the last.

"He said I can keep him" Josephine reported.

"Oh?" Chummy replied. "So there will be no adoption?" She asked, now beyond caring really that she had exposed the new mother to the knowledge that Chummy knew all along about her father's plot, although she almost felt the girl hesitate down the telephone line before she spoke again.

"No Sister. He decided that, well, he said that if I promised to not try to contact Robbie that I could keep him. He said he realised that I would hate him even more if he took Christopher off me".

"You don't hate him" Chummy responded softly. She didn't hate her father either; just desperately wanted him….well, just to be her father. That was all. To let her feel that there was some semblance of affection or love in her life from whom someone somewhere had decided she should be born to.

"No, I don't Sister. I love him and I want him to love me back. He's my father but I don't like the way he speaks to me or treats me and that's why I don't like him and say things. I can have my little boy and he's his first grandchild Sister. Sophia said that when she saw him, when she saw Christopher, she told Poppa that he mustn't go through with the adoption or _she'd_ never forgive him. Sophia even said she would bring him up as hers if she had to so he wouldn't leave the family. She's a respectable married woman she said, so no-body would think otherwise. Or was". Josephine paused, remembering the conversation she had overheard about the divorce that was going to be pushed through the Court as quickly and as quietly as possible.

"I think it was Sophia's doing that he changed his mind. I think she persuaded him. He said he is going to give Sophia the gardener's cottage to live in instead of _him_ and said if I want to that I can live there too with her and Christopher when I am eighteen" Josephine reported.

To the nurse's ears though she still sounded as though she had had little choice in agreeing and, if it was as she had said – that his agreement was conditional – how many more stipulations might be placed upon her in days or years to come. Still though, it seems thanks to her step-sister that concessions had been made. Chummy wondered if she dare mention Alastair and what she knew of the lack of charges; thinking whether the clean, swift divorce that now seemed to be on the cards for Sophia was as simple as it sounded and all would be tickety-boo or whether it would just be pushed under the carpet.

"I told Poppa a lie though" Josephine confessed, her voice suddenly falling even lower as she placed her hand over the receiver to make sure no-body heard her.

"Oh?"

"I told him, promised him that I would forget about Robbie because I want Christopher more than anything" she confessed. It was looking into the small boy's eyes as they squinted at her in the harsh ward lights and she knew that she would fight her father tooth and nail for him; whatever it took. "He told me that if he agreed, that if I wrote to Robbie or wanted to see him in prison he would make sure Christopher was taken off me. I want my little boy more than anyone or anything Sister. I can't let him go". She really did mean it. Whilst the scars would fade of Alastair, she had a little boy to love her and this would be proper, real love now that nobody would interfere with.

"I don't imagine you can" Chummy responded, seeing the choice that the youngster had been forced to make. She sighed to herself. After it all, the way things had been the last few weeks and months, she had at least achieved one thing. The boy would stay with his mother and it seemed his mother had matured sufficiently to realise that she had to make a sacrifice rather than gather up all she wanted and refuse to bend.

"Thank you for all your help Sister", Josephine offered, truly meaning it as well. Sister understood her like no-one had done before. Sister had been there herself too it seemed and for once, someone _knew._ They just _knew_ without explanation or question what it felt like to have every door slammed in your face and then the realisation that, for once, she would and could have something that was truly hers after all.

"Have I been much help?' Chummy wondered to herself. "It's what I am here for" she eventually replied. She paused for a moment too, thinking the question through in her own mind carefully before she asked it as she did have to enquire. "Josephine? Are you happy to be going home to your father?"

"I don't know Sister" she replied. "I'll have some where to live. Christopher will too and he…. he deserves that…. Poppa thinks he can make me forget Robbie though. He won't. I'll make sure…..Do you believe me Sister? Believe me I'll never forget him?" she pleaded.

"I believe you".

It had been lingering in the back of her mind all week; wondering how Josephine was getting on as she must have been discharged by now. She daren't telephone Leslie as she knew she was pushing her connections too far, even though the temptation had been there. The Lodge had resumed its usual activity of comings and goings, but it wasn't until now, Friday suppertime that Chummy had really, truly considered what might be going on. She turned the dial down on the cooker, just keeping supper warm until Peter arrived back from Nonnatus and stared at the stew as it bubbled in the pan, smiling for a second as she remembered last night's telephone call with him.

 _"_ _I nearly froze all my bits off down by the docks last night. So much for Summer!"_

 _"_ _Do you want me to make a stew for tomorrow night then?"_

 _"_ _If I could twist your arm…."_

Chummy smiled again before melancholy took over once more. A boy, because that was all he was, in jail; a young baby growing up without a father if his beloved grandfather saw fit and a girl who was so familiar, someone Chummy had been far too many years ago. She laughed to herself for a second at the apparent comparison. No, that girl was still there; just buried under a new status of Freddie's Mumma and Peter's wife. The same with Josephine. She would become Christopher's mother and live wondering how life could have been different. Maybe she might be so consumed in motherhood that she might forget Robbie or find someone in a few years time who could love and forgive and the furniture man would fade into the forgotten past regardless of her protestations now. A sixteen year old and a twenty six year old were quite different beings.

Chummy shook her head quickly. No, that girl that lingered within her would still pop up frequently and completely without warning and with no heed as to the trouble she could cause. Chummy was so very conscious that she'd spring up whenever she would feel like it and at times it felt as though she was always sitting on her shoulder waiting for that chink of an opportunity. The past, whilst it was distant in time, had never truly left her and she doubted it ever would. She could disguise it; forget for a few days, weeks or months as Freddie or Peter, Nonnatus or the Lodge consumed her thoughts but no, it would still be there and it was no different for Josephine it seemed.

She picked up the wooden spoon again and stirred the pot thoughtfully; mesmerised by the swirling of vegetables in front of her, wondering if she could have done more, questioning herself a million times over as was her unfortunate normal want.

 _"_ _Dadda! Dadda! Daddaaaa!"_

Chummy's head snapped up, speculating if she had been so far away with the fairies that Peter had actually got through the front door without her knowing. Freddie's shouting had interrupted her thoughts as she saw him toddle across to the door to the attics. He must have heard Peter coming up the stairs as there was no sight of her husband; Chummy still not sure how long she had been staring at the pan.

"Hello mate" Peter replied with a laugh, dumping his holdall down and picking the boy up just seeing out of the corner of his eye Chummy appear from the kitchen.

"Have you been a good boy all week then?" Peter asked Freddie as he kissed him on the temple.

"No" Chummy replied, for him, as she walked across to the pair and grateful for the distraction. "He's been his usual monstrous self!" she continued as she tickled the boys chin as he giggled back at her.

Peter smiled as he leant over and kissed her, somewhat surprised and taken aback when he felt her hand slide around his neck, anchoring herself in his proximity. "Has he really been horrible all week?" he asked; whilst not turning down the kiss, wondered what her motivation was to greet him really quite so intensely. Freddie could tire them both out at the best of times; he knew that but it didn't seem as though he was the cause of her troubles somehow.

"No" she smiled shaking her head. "He's been as good as an almost two year old can be…."

"So it's the other thing?" Peter asked, seeing her eyes drop to the floor, recalling many moments of conversation over the telephone this past week. "Camilla, you've done all you can do. She's gone now. You have to let go of her". She felt him squeeze her hand as she frowned. "Sometimes all anyone can do is paper over the cracks and try and make it better for as long as they can..."

"And hope those cracks don't reappear bigger than they were when you covered them up….." she interrupted, quietly watching her son who was messing with Peter's coat buttons. "I do know" she replied meekly, straightening her spine to take Freddie back off his father so he could take off his coat and relax. "I do know".

Seven months later as Chummy walked, pushing a singing Freddie in his buggy along the Dock Road, she just happened to chance on a headline when she was passing the newsagent. She had no idea why the headline suddenly caught her eye until she picked the newspaper up; heart sinking as she read the bold black capital lettering.

 _"_ _Police Hunt for Sixteen year old and her son...Josephine and Christopher Baker reported missing…."_

FIN


End file.
